[The localization of apoprotein E in the normal human aortic wall and in atherosclerosis]

The authors studied the distribution of apoprotein E (apoE) in normal and atherosclerotic human aortic wall. Double immunofluorescent technique and a set of mono- and polyclonal antibodies were used in the study. Apo E was found in normal intima of every aorta taken from people over 20 years of age and in vessels of some adolescents. The protein was localized extracellularly and was noted in some portion of macrophages but not in the endothelial and smooth muscle cells of human aorta. The accumulation of apo E increased in lipid strips and was particularly high in acellular zone of the atherosclerotic plaque. This effect may be due to the retention of apo E by changed sulfated glycosaminoglycans of aortic connective tissue. The accumulation of apo E in the vessel wall may have an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.