Expression Of NF-κB And ICAM-1 In Human Coronary Artery Plaque And Their Relationship With Atherosclerosis Development

Atherosclerosis is the most common disease of cardiovascular system,and also a common disease endanger human health. Coronary atherosclerosis is the most serious threat to mankind in AS and the most common causes of coronary heart disease. At present, general view is that atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory proliferative disease after vascular endothelial injury. This injury causes the change of adhesion in endothelial cells'surfaces. Endothelial cells express ICAM-1 and other adhesion molecules which promote monocyte adhesion. It is the origin of AS. NF-κB is the key inflammatory transcription factor. Injury factors promote the transcription and generation of ICAM-1 by activating NF-κB. This can promote the formation and development of AS.Objective: To detect protein expression of NF-κB and ICAM-1 in coronary artery of patients with coronary atherosclerosis and analyze the relation between NF-κB and ICAM-1. To analyze the correlation between NF-κB,ICAM-1 and the formation and development of atherosclerotic plaque. To provide the experiment proof for clinical diagnosis, treatment and prognostic evaluation.Method: Chose 55 coronary arteries from 55 autopsied cases. At first, we devide the samples into 3 groups by HE staining, including A group (normal coronary artery 15cases), B group (coronary artery stenosis≤50% 18cases), C group(coronary artery stenosis>50% 22cases). Then we detect the expression of NF-κB and ICAM-1 by immunohistochemistry, and also locate macrophage(CD68) and smooth muscle cell(α-actin) in each group. Chi statistics and Spearman test are applied in statistics treatment. Result: NF-κB and ICAM-1 protein mostly can be tested in endomembrane of atherosclerosis coronary artery. In A group, they have no expression ,but the expression increases in B and C group. NF-κB mainly locates in the nucelus of macrophages,foam cells,endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells of tunica media and endomembrane. ICAM-1 mainly locates in the endochylema and membrane of endothelial cells,macrophages and smooth muscle cells in endomembrane,while hardly exist in smooth muscle cell of tunica media. Statistical analysis demonstrates that the expression intensity of NF-κB is: C group>B group>A group and the expression intensity of ICAM-1 is: B group> C group> A group. The difference is significant (P<0.05). Positive associations between NF-κB and ICAM-1 expression intensity showed in Spearman tests (rs=0.738 P=0.000). Furthermore, we find the expression of NF-κB and ICAM-1 in intima is more significant than in media.Conclusion: (1) In normal group, NF-κB and ICAM-1 have no expression, but the expression increases in coronary atherosclerosis groups. This indicates NF-κB and ICAM-1 both participate in the initiation and development of atherosclerosis.(2) Positive association between NF-κB and ICAM-1 on the protein level indicates that they have synergy during the development of atherosclerosis. This consequence prompts that NF-κB as the key inflammatory transcription factor may induce the expression of ICAM-1.