Apolipoprotein C1 and Apolipoprotein E Are Differentially Expressed in Atheroma of the Carotid and Femoral Artery

• Published in: The Journal of surgical research 2008, Vol.144 (1), p.132-137
• Main Authors: Eo, Hyun-Seon, M.S, Kim, Dong-Ik, M.D., Ph.D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Apolipoprotein C-I - genetics; Apolipoprotein C-I - metabolism; apolipoprotein C1; apolipoprotein E; Apolipoproteins E - genetics; Apolipoproteins E - metabolism; atherosclerosis; Atherosclerosis (general aspects, experimental research); Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Brain Death; Buerger’s disease; Cardiology. Vascular system; Carotid Arteries - physiology; carotid artery; Carotid Artery Diseases - genetics; Carotid Artery Diseases - metabolism; Carotid Artery Diseases - physiopathology; differential expression; Femoral Artery - physiology; Gene Expression; General aspects; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Humans; Iliac Artery - physiology; Immunohistochemistry; Medical sciences; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Surgery; Thromboangiitis Obliterans - genetics; Thromboangiitis Obliterans - metabolism; Thromboangiitis Obliterans - physiopathology
• ISSN: 0022-4804; 1095-8673
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2007.02.009

Background A number of the genes and proteins as the causes of carotid atherosclerotic disease have been recently reported, but the major factors for atherosclerosis have still not been identified. Methods The atherosclerotic atheromas were obtained during endarterectomy for each of 10 cases of diseased carotid and femoral arteries. As the nonatherosclerotic arteries, the iliac arteries were obtained during organ harvest from five cases of brain-dead donors, and the leg arteries were obtained during leg amputation from five cases of Buerger’s disease. The total RNAs and proteins were isolated from the atheromas and arteries. The annealing control primer method was used to screen the differentially expressed mRNAs. To identify if the mRNA expression of screened gene was associated with the protein expression, we performed an immunohistochemical analysis. Results We found that the apolipoprotein C1 (apo C1) gene was prominently expressed in the atheroma of the carotid and femoral arteries, as compared to the nonatherosclerotic arteries. Immunohistochemical analysis showed the high expression of apo C1 protein in the atheromas of the carotid and femoral arteries. Apo E protein was also highly expressed in atheromas compared with the nonatherosclerotic arteries, but there was no difference for apo C2 protein between those four groups of arteries. Discussion The expression of apo C1 and apo E are closely associated with the susceptibility to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. This study suggests that these factors might play important roles in the future to screen for preventing atherosclerosis and for diagnostic testing of patients.