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Histomorphometric analysis of the human internal thoracic artery and relationship with cardiovascular risk factors

Diogo A Fonseca1,2, Pedro E Antunes3, Manuel J Antunes3

  • 1Laboratory of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Care, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.

Plos One
|January 26, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Histomorphometric analysis of the internal thoracic artery (ITA) reveals preatherosclerotic changes. These changes correlate with age, gender, kidney function (eGFR), and myocardial infarction history in patients undergoing bypass grafting.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Research
  • Vascular Biology
  • Histopathology

Background:

  • The internal thoracic artery (ITA) is a critical conduit for coronary artery bypass grafting.
  • Understanding ITA's structural changes is vital for long-term graft patency.
  • Preatherosclerotic changes may influence graft performance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct a histomorphometric analysis of human ITA.
  • To correlate ITA histomorphometry with clinical profiles, including risk factors and medications.
  • To identify predictors of intimal hyperplasia in ITA.

Main Methods:

  • Histomorphometric analysis of distal ITA segments from 54 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.
  • Histological examination using H&E, van Gieson, Masson's trichrome, and von Kossa stains.
  • Multivariable linear regression to assess associations between intimal width (IW), intima/media ratio (IMR), and clinical variables.

Main Results:

  • No overt atherosclerotic lesions were observed, but mild calcifications were present in most samples.
  • Intimal width (IW) and intima/media ratio (IMR) were associated with age, gender, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and myocardial infarction history.
  • Age, female gender, eGFR, and myocardial infarction history were significant predictors of intimal hyperplasia.

Conclusions:

  • Preatherosclerotic lesions in ITA are associated with classical cardiovascular risk factors.
  • Kidney function (eGFR) and myocardial infarction history are also significant clinical predictors of ITA intimal hyperplasia.
  • These findings highlight the importance of considering broader clinical factors in ITA graft assessment.

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