[Could apoptosis be contributed to the occurrence of aortic dissection?]

This clinical study was conducted to determine whether apoptosis is contributed to the occurrence of aortic dissection. The subjects comprised 11 patients who underwent Stanford type A aortic dissection and 4 autopsy cases, being the control group. The occurrence of apoptosis was determined by the TUNEL assay using an aortic wall specimen, and the distribution of macrophages and h-MMP-9 was examined by immunohistological staining. Apoptotic cells were observed in the aortic specimens for all of the 11 patients who underwent Standford type A aortic dissection, but not in any of the 4 autopsy cases. Moreover, apoptotic cells were present in large numbers on the surface of the false lumen strongly in 8 patients who underwent surgery within 1 month after aortic dissection, but not in 3 who underwent treatment after than 1 month. Those phenomena were also observed in the immunohistological staining of CD 68 and h-MMP-9. These findings indicate that apoptosis could be contributed to the occurrence of aortic dissection.