On the basis of contradictory results found in animal experiments and coronary atherectomy tissue, there is an ongoing debate about the significance of cellular proliferation in human atherosclerosis. In the present study, the cell cycle-related antigen Ki-67 was detected for determination of cell turnover in 41 carotid and femoral arteries endarterectomy specimens. The cellular proliferation is limited to the intima and is predominantly found in macrophage- and lymphocyte-rich areas characterized by inflammatory processes and structural repair. In contradiction to result found in aminal experiments our results suggest, that the proliferation of smooth muscle cells does not play an important pathogenetic role in human atherosclerosis.
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On the basis of contradictory results found in animal experiments and coronary atherectomy tissue, there is an ongoing debate about the significance of cellular proliferation in human atherosclerosis. In the present study, the cell cycle-related antigen Ki-67 was detected for determination of cell turnover in 41 carotid and femoral arteries endarterectomy specimens. The cellular proliferation is limited to the intima and is predominantly found in macrophage- and lymphocyte-rich areas characteriz...
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