Mast Cells in Neovascularized Human Coronary Plaques Store and Secrete Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor, a Potent Angiogenic Mediator

• Published in: Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology Vol. 24; no. 10; pp. 1880 - 1885
• Main Authors: Lappalainen, Helena, Laine, Petri, Pentikäinen, Markku O., Sajantila, Antti, Kovanen, Petri T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA American Heart Association, Inc 01.10.2004; Hagerstown, MD Lippincott
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antibodies, Monoclonal - metabolism; Arteriosclerosis - pathology; Atherosclerosis (general aspects, experimental research); Autopsy; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Blood vessels and receptors; Cardiology. Vascular system; Coronary Vessels - pathology; Diseases of the peripheral vessels. Diseases of the vena cava. Miscellaneous; Female; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 - immunology; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 - metabolism; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 - secretion; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Immunohistochemistry - methods; Male; Mast Cells - metabolism; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neovascularization, Pathologic - metabolism; Tunica Intima - pathology; Vertebrates: cardiovascular system; Vascular disease; Human; Adventitia; nenvascularization; Atherosclerosis; Cardiovascular disease; Basic fibroblast growth factor; Mast cell; mast cells; Coronary heart disease
• ISSN: 1079-5642; 1524-4636; 1524-4636
• DOI: 10.1161/01.ATV.0000140820.51174.8d

OBJECTIVE—Intraplaque neovascularization and hemorrhage may facilitate plaque progression. We studied expression of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), a potent angiogenic mediator, by mast cells (MCs) in human coronary plaques with increasing degrees of atherosclerosis. METHODS AND RESULTS—Normal and atherosclerotic coronary segments were collected from 30 autopsied subjects. Immunohistochemical methods were used to detect MCs, bFGF, and microvessels. Both adventitial and intimal MCs showed intracytoplasmic granular staining for bFGF, and bFGF-positive extracellular granules were observed close to the MCs. Increased numbers of bFGF-positive MCs were detected in neovascularized areas of plaques, and there was a positive correlation between numbers of bFGF-positive MCs and microvessels in both the intima and adventitia. In plaques, the highly neovascularized areas contained increased numbers of bFGF-positive MCs compared with the adjacent nonvascularized areas, where only few MCs were present. Importantly, the proportion of intimal MCs expressing bFGF increased with increasing severity of atherosclerosis. CONCLUSIONS—The present work reveals a novel source of bFGF in human coronary arteries, the intimal and adventitial MCs. The association of bFGF-positive MCs with microvessels and with the severity of atherosclerosis suggests that coronary MCs, by releasing bFGF, may play a role in angiogenesis and progression of coronary plaques.