Monitoring Cellularity and Expression of Key Markers in Atherosclerotic Plaques

Atherosclerotic plaques are highly diverse and heterogeneous structures, even within the same individual, and can vary depending on its anatomical location within the vascular bed. Early in the disease and throughout its progression, immune cells infiltrate the lesion, contributing to the plaque phenotype via different mechanisms. Detailed characterization of constituent cell populations within plaques is hence required for more accurate assessment of disease severity and inflammatory burden. A wide range of fluorophore-conjugated antibodies targeted to key cell types implicated in all stages of the disease are commercially available, enabling visualization of the dynamic cellular landscape present within lesions. This chapter describes the use of immunofluorescence staining of atherosclerotic plaque sections to study plaque cellularity and expression of key markers.