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Atrophy of the aortic media in giant cell arteritis
Author(s) -
PETURSDOTTIR V.,
NORDBORG E.,
NORDBORG C.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
apmis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0903-4641
DOI - 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1996.tb00707.x
Subject(s) - pathology , giant cell arteritis , giant cell , myofibroblast , atrophy , epithelioid cell , sma* , medicine , elastin , autopsy , arteritis , tunica media , anatomy , smooth muscle , vasculitis , immunohistochemistry , fibrosis , disease , mathematics , combinatorics
Aortic tissue from seven patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) was investigated using light microscopy and immunocytochemistry. Four surgical cases and three autopsy cases were included. All the specimens displayed a severe reduction in the size and number of media smooth muscle cells immunopositive for α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA). A subtotal loss of α‐SMA‐positive cells was seen in non‐inflamed media tissue, continuing gradually towards multiple calcified acellular lesions totally devoid of α‐SMA immunoreactivity. There was a slight to moderate granulomatous inflammatory reaction in the tissue surrounding part of the acellular lesions. Foreign body giant cell reaction and elastin degradation were found at the ends of the acellular calcified areas. The present findings indicate that the atrophy and the loss of α‐SMA‐positive cells in the aortic media in GCA is primary, and that the granulomatous reaction is secondary and directed against atrophic calcified media tissue.