Cell proliferation in aortic, mammary artery and saphenous vein biopsies in patients subjected to open heart surgery.

BACKGROUND

Stenosis of venous vascular grafts is a common phenomenon after coronary by-pass surgery and the factors related to stenosis are not completely understood. Cell proliferation in vascular channels is one of the features related to occlusion. This study is a prospective clinicopathological study of the relationship between cell proliferation and clinical factors in patients suffering from atherosclerotic heart disease. Materials. The expression of cell proliferation related protein Ki-67 was analyzed in samples obtained from aortic wall, internal mammary artery, and saphenous vein in 96 patients subjected to open heart surgery.

METHODS

The expression of Ki-67 in vascular channel intima and media was analyzed by immunohistochemical techniques. The results of Ki-67 immunolabelling were compared to clinical features and to the medical therapy of the patients.

RESULTS

Cell proliferation was higher in males than in females in the aortic wall (p = 0.05). The expression of Ki-67 was significantly higher (p = 0.004) in venous intima in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes than in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes or with no diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

The results show that variations in cell proliferation rates in vessel walls may be related to the potential risk of stenosis of vascular grafts particularly in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.