calcified carotid plaque and inflammation/calcification-related genes

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23592102
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cerebral neurosurgery
• Research Institution: Nagoya City University
• Principal Investigator: KATANO Hiroyuki 名古屋市立大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (30295612)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): YAMADA Kazuo 名古屋市立大学, 大学院医学研究科, 教授 (90150341)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-28 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 頚動脈狭窄症 / 頚動脈プラーク / 石灰化 / 網羅的遺伝子発現 / マイクロアレイ / ANGPTL4 / FGFR2

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Carotid plaques from 18 endarterectomy patients were classified into high- and low-calcified plaques on the basis of Agatston calcium score. Microarray analysis demonstrated 93 angiogenesis or growth fac- tor–related transcripts that are reliably expressed (175 probe sets). Among them, angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4) expression was significantly elevated, whereas fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) expression was significantly suppressed. Quantitative messenger RNA analysis was performed with real-time PCR. Augmented or decreased protein expression of each gene was confirmed by Western blotting analysis and immunohistochemistry. Conclusions: In high- calcified plaques, ANGPTL4 might be upregulated for antiangiogenic modulating function together with the downregulation of FGFR2, contributing to the stability of the plaques.

Free Research Field

脳神経外科