Network of Vascular-Associated Dendritic Cells in Intima of Healthy Young Individuals

• Published in: Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology Vol. 21; no. 4; pp. 503 - 508
• Main Authors: Millonig, G, Niederegger, H, Rabl, W, Hochleitner, B W, Hoefer, D, Romani, N, Wick, G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA American Heart Association, Inc 01.04.2001; Hagerstown, MD Lippincott
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Animals; Arteries - cytology; Arteries - immunology; Arteries - pathology; Arteriosclerosis - etiology; Arteriosclerosis - immunology; Arteriosclerosis - pathology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood vessels and receptors; Child; Child, Preschool; Dendritic Cells - cytology; Dendritic Cells - immunology; Dendritic Cells - pathology; Female; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hemorheology; Humans; Infant; Male; Rabbits; Stress, Mechanical; Tunica Intima - cytology; Tunica Intima - immunology; Tunica Intima - pathology; Vertebrates: cardiovascular system; Human; Dendritic cell; Rabbit; Exploration; Lagomorpha; Accumulation; Artery; Stress; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Animal; Network; Circulatory system; Hemodynamics; Vascular wall
• ISSN: 1079-5642; 1524-4636
• DOI: 10.1161/01.atv.21.4.503

In earlier studies, our group has established a new “immunological” hypothesis for atherogenesis supported by experimental and clinical studies showing that inflammatory immunological reactions against heat shock protein 60 initiate the development of atherosclerosis. In the present study, we describe the discovery of a so-far-unknown network of dendritic cells in the innermost layer of arteries, the intima, but not veins of healthy humans and rabbits. The number of these dendritic cells is comparable to that of Langerhans cells in the skin, and dendritic cells show a similar phenotype (CD1a S-100 lag CD31 CD83 CD86 and no staining for von Willebrand factor or smooth muscle cell myosin). These vascular-associated dendritic cells accumulate most densely in those arterial regions that are subjected to major hemodynamic stress by turbulent flow conditions and are known to be predisposed for the later development of atherosclerosis. These results open new perspectives for the activation of the immune system within the arterial wall.