Cytokine Profiling of Plasma and Atherosclerotic Plaques in Patients Undergoing Carotid Endarterectomy.

Atherosclerotic plaques are sites of chronic inflammation with diverse cell contents and complex immune signaling. Plaque progression and destabilization are driven by the infiltration of immune cells and the cytokines that mediate their interactions. Here, we attempted to compare the systemic cytokine profiles in the blood plasma of patients with atherosclerosis and the local cytokine production, using ex vivo plaque explants from the same patients.

Driving T cells to human atherosclerotic plaques: CCL3/CCR5 and CX3CL1/CX3CR1 migration axes.

T-cell accumulation in atherosclerotic plaques contributes to plaque destabilization. We found that several chemokine receptors are differentially expressed on peripheral blood compared to plaque-resident T cells and corresponding ligands are upregulated in plaques. These data indicate that T-cell migration into human atherosclerotic plaques may predominantly occur via CCR5-CCL3 and CX3CR1-CX3CL1 interactions.

Intravascular ultrasound-guided internal carotid artery stenting.

Aim: The study was aimed at demonstrating efficacy and feasibility of intravascular ultrasound during internal carotid artery stenting for assessment of atheromatous plaque protrusion through a stent.

Patients And Methods: Over the period from October to December 2018, the specialists of our Centre performed a total of 90 internal carotid artery stenting procedures in 83 patients (of these, 7 patients underwent bilateral staged stenting of both internal carotid arteries) using intravascular ultrasound in order to assess intraoperative protrusion of an atherosclerotic plaque through the implanted stent. The patients' age varied from 42 to 87 (mean 68.

[Staged surgical treatment of a woman with nonspecific aortoarteritis and bilateral occlusion of carotid arteries].

Nonspecific aortoarteritis (NAA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the development of an inflammatory process in large arteries such as the aorta and its branches and pulmonary arteries. Operative interventions for lesions of the aortic arch branches may be divided into extra- and transthoracic. Involvement of all branches of the aortic arch requires transthoracic interventions to be performed.

Ex vivo culture of human atherosclerotic plaques: A model to study immune cells in atherogenesis.

Background And Aims: The mechanisms that drive atherosclerotic plaque progression and destabilization in humans remain largely unknown. Laboratory models are needed to study these mechanisms under controlled conditions. The aim of this study was to establish a new ex vivo model of human atherosclerotic plaques that preserves the main cell types in plaques and the extracellular components in the context of native cytoarchitecture.