[Clinical and immunologic comparison in chronic ischemic brain disease secondary to atherosclerosis]

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of cerebral atherosclerosis (CA) as a risk factor in the development and progression of cerebrovascular disease (CVD) of atherosclerotic origin. Immunoreactions with antigens to cerebral vessels affected by atherosclerosis in 330 patients with CVD aged 46-82 years with different stages of the disease and various location of CA process was studied. The presence of autoimmune humoral reactions (complement binding reaction, leukocyte lysis reaction, modified erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and cellular reaction (antigene-reactive rosette formation) with antigenes to cerebral vessels affected by atherosclerosis, which intensity significantly prevailed in patients as compared with control groups (healthy young people and people whose age was close to that of patients without symptoms of cerebral atherosclerosis). Statistically significant prevalence of reactions with antigenes to cerebral vessels affected by atherosclerosis intensity above reactions with extracts of intact brain vessels was noted. Intensity of those reactions with antigenes to cerebral vessels affected by atherosclerosis was increased with evolution of CVD and depended on the location of atherosclerotic process: reactions were more pronounced in those arterial territories where the atherosclerotic lesion predominated. High correlation rates of autoimmune reactions with antigenes to cerebral vessels affected by atherosclerosis intensity and some parameters of lipid metabolism (total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides), revealed a relationship between the reactions given and hyperlipidemia, which confirms the relationship of cerebral vessels antigenicity to the degree of atherosclerotic lesion.