Study On The Relationship Between COX - 2, PAPP - A And Carotid Atherosclerosis Stability And Stenosis

Objective: The present study was designed to detect the difference of the PAPP-A and COX-2 expression between unstable plaque、stable plaque and different plaque in stenosis degree, to make it more clear how they act on plaque stability, and whether they are related to the degree of carotid stenosis.Methods: All the tissue plaque were classified into two groups as either unstable(n=36) or stable(n=10) according to the pathological feature of the plaques, and moderate stenosis group(n=9),severe stenosis group(n=37)refering to the north American surgeons standard: mild stenosis(0-29%)、moderate stenosis(30-69%)、severe stenosis(70-99%).The tissue immunohistochemical method was used to detect protein expression condition of PAPP-A and COX-2, then, statistical methods was used to analyze the difference of PAPP-A and COX-2 expression between unstable plaque 、stable plaque and different plaque in stenosis degree, meanwhile, analyze the correlation between PAPP-A and COX-2.Result: The number of positive cells(mean 23.58±5.59) which express PAPP-A in unstable plaque significantly increases that(mean 4.43±2.08) in stable plaque(P<0.01). The number of positive cells(mean 34.71±9.88) which express COX-2 in unstable plaque significantly increases that(mean 4.78±2.79) in stable plaque(P<0.01), having statistically significance. There are positive correlation relationships between PAPP-A and COX-2. In UP(r=0.74 P<0.01) and SP(r=0.60 P<0.01).The number of positive cells(mean 18.47±10.25) which express PAPP-A in moderate stenosis plaque decreases that(mean 19.51±9.54) in severe stenosis plaque(P>0.05). The number of positive cells(mean 27.97±15.39) which express COX-2 in moderate stenosis plaque decreases that(mean 28.06±15.45) in severe stenosis plaque(P>0.05), no having statistically significance.Conclusion: Thinking that PAPP-A and COX-2 take part in the formation of UP,and the expression of PAPP-A and COX-2 in plaque has nothing to do with the degree of carotid artery stenosis.