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Updated: Oct 2, 2026
Quantitative Analysis of Cellular Composition in Advanced Atherosclerotic Lesions of Smooth Muscle Cell Lineage-Tracing Mice
Published on: February 20, 2019
[Morphometric study of inflammatory cells and smooth muscle cells in coronary plaques and their relation with plaque
Insights
Unstable coronary plaques have more macrophages and T lymphocytes than stable plaques. These inflammatory cells, along with lipid core size, determine plaque vulnerability.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Pathology
- Immunohistochemistry
- Atherosclerosis Research
Background:
- Coronary plaque vulnerability is a key factor in acute myocardial infarction.
- Understanding the cellular composition of plaques is crucial for assessing risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare inflammatory and smooth muscle cell content in stable versus unstable coronary plaques.
- To elucidate the role of these cells in plaque vulnerability.
Main Methods:
- Postmortem hearts from 12 acute myocardial infarction cases were analyzed.
- Immunohistochemistry was used to quantify macrophages (CD68), T lymphocytes (UCHL-1), and smooth muscle cells (actin).
- Computer-aided planimetry measured positive cell areas in 163 stable and 163 unstable plaques.
Main Results:
- Unstable plaques showed significantly higher macrophage and T lymphocyte content compared to stable plaques (P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Coronary plaque vulnerability is associated with distinct cellular profiles beyond lipid core size.
- Increased macrophages and T lymphocytes within the fibrous cap correlate with plaque instability.
- Lipid core size and inflammatory cell infiltration are major determinants of coronary plaque vulnerability.
Objective:
To compare the content of inflammatory cells and smooth muscle cells in stable and unstable coronary plaques in order to clarify the role of these cells in the vulnerability of plaques.
Methods:
Hearts from 12 postmortem acute myocardial infarction cases were studied. The epicardial coronary arteries were dissected en bloc, fixed, decalcified, cut at 4 mm intervals and routinely processed for HE sections. 163 stable plaques (with no or only little lipid core) and 163 unstable plaques (with lipid core size > 40% of plaque area) were studied immunohistochemically using monoclonal antibodies specific for macrophages (CD68), T lymphocytes (UCHL-1) and smooth muscle cells (actin). Computor aided planimetry was used to measure the positive area of different cells.
Results:
The content of macrophage and T lymphocytes in unstable plaques were significantly higher than that in stable plaques (P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
Stable plaques and unstable plaques not only had different lipid core size but also had different inflammatory cell and smooth muscle cell content. The larger the lipid core and the more macrophages and T lymphocytes in the fibrous cap, the more unstable the plaque. The lipid core and inflammatory cells (including macrophages and T lymphocytes) are the two major determinants of the vulnerability of coronary plaques.
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