Vein graft neointimal hyperplasia is exacerbated by tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 signaling in graft-intrinsic cells.

Objective: Vein graft remodeling and neointimal hyperplasia involve inflammation, graft-intrinsic cells, and recruitment of vascular progenitor cells. We sought to examine if the inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) affects vein graft remodeling via its p55 TNF receptor-1 (p55).

Methods And Results: Inferior vena cava-to-carotid artery interposition grafting was performed between p55-/- and congenic (C57Bl/6) wild-type (WT) mice.