Carbonic anhydrase IX deposits are associated with increased ascending aortic dilatation.

Objectives: Carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX) expression is induced by local hypoxia. We studied whether CA IX deposits associate with ascending aortic dilatation.

Design: Aortic wall histology, CA IX expression, presence of leukocytes, plasma cells, macrophages, endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, cell proliferation, elastin and collagen were studied in histological specimens collected from 30 patients who underwent surgery for ascending aorta.