Summary
Sections of human atherosclerotic plaques, obtained from 21 autopsy cases with various degrees of atherosclerosis, were stained with the indirect immunoperoxidase technique using specific monoclonal antibodies against macrophages and smooth muscle cells. Distinctive results were found in differing stages: Single blood monocytes were observed in diffuse intimal thickening and the foam cells seen in fatty streaks were mostly identified as mature tissue macrophages, while only very few blood monocytes were present. The spindle cells observed in fibroelastic plaques showed positive reactions to antibodies against desmin, which points to their derivation from smooth muscle cells, whereas only a few macrophage-derived foam cells were seen in these lesions. In the complicated lesions the majority of foam cells were macrophage-derived, but there was also a small number of foam cells positive to antibodies against desmin, suggesting a smooth muscle cell derivation. - Our results confirm that in human atherosclerotic plaques the majority of the foam cells are obviously macrophage-derived, which emphasizes the important role of macrophages in the morphogenesis of these lesions.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aqel NM, Ball RY, Waldmann H, Mitchinson MJ (1985) Identification of macrophages and smooth muscle cells in human atherosclerosis using monoclonal antibodies. J Pathol 146:197–204
Brown MS, Goldstein JL (1983) Lipoprotein metabolism in the macrophage: implications for cholesterol deposition in atherosclerosis. Annu Rev Biochem 52:223–261
Brown MS, Goldstein JL (1986) A receptor-mediated pathway for cholesterol homeostasis. Science 232:34–47
Chait A, Ross R, Albers JJ, Bierman EL (1980) Platelet-derived growth factor stimulates activity of low density lipoprotein receptors. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 77:4084–4088
Dimitriou-Bona A, Burmester GR, Waters SJ, Winchester RJ (1983) Human mononuclear phagocyte differentiation antigens, I. Patterns of antigenic expression on the surface of human monocytes and macrophages defined by monoclonal antibodies. J Immunol 130:1–12
Fagiotto A, Ross R (1984) Studies of hypercholesterolemia in the nonhuman primate. II. Fatty streak conversion to fibrous plaque. Arteriosclerosis 4:341–356
Fagiotto A, Ross R, Harker L (1984) Studies of hypercholesterolemia in the nonhuman primate. I. Changes that lead to fatty streak formation. Arteriosclerosis 4:323–340
Klurfeld DM (1985) Identification of foam cells in human atherosclerotic lesions as amacrophages using monoclonal antibodies. Arch Pathol Lab Med 109:445–449
Knowles DM, Tolidjiana B, Marboe C, D'Agati V, Grimes M, Chess L (1984) Monoclonal antihuman monocyte antibodies OKM-1 and OKM-5 possess distinctive tissue distributions including differential reactivity with vascular endothelium. J Immunol 132:2170–2173
Kocher O, Gabbiani G (1986) Cytoskeletal features of normal and atheromatous human arterial smooth muscle cells. Hum Pathol 17:875–880
Mahley RW (1981) Cellular and molecular lipoprotein metabolism in atherosclerosis. Diabetes 30 (Suppl 2):60–65
Murase T, Oka T, Yamada N, Mori N, Ishibacshi S, Takaku F, Mori W (1986) Immunohistochemical localization of apolipoprotein E in atherosclerotic lesions of the aorta and coronary arteries. Atherosclerosis 60:1–6
Newman HAJ, Murad TM, Geer JC (1971) Foam cell of rabbit atheromatous lesion. Identification and cholesterol uptake in isolated cells. Lab Invest 25:586–595
Orekhov AN, Kalantarov GF, Andreeva ER, Prokazova NV, Trakht JN, Bergelson LD, Smirnov VN (1986) Monoclonal antibody reveals heterogeneity in human aortic intima: Detection of a ganglioside antigen associated with a subpopulation of intimal cells. Am J Pathol 122:379–385
Radzun HJ (1985) Immunhistochemie des menschlichen mononukleär-phagozytischen Systems. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart New York
Radzun HJ, Parwaresch MR (1983) Differential immunohistochemical resolution of the human mononuclear phagocyte system. Cell Immunol 82:174–183
Roessner A, Vollmer E, Zwadlo G, Sorg C, Greve H, Grundmann E (1986) Zur Differenzierung von Makrophagen und glatten Muskelzellen mit monoklonalen Antikörpern in der arteriosklerotischen Plaque der menschlichen Aorta. Verh Dtsch Ges Pathol 70:365–370
Ross R (1986) The pathogenesis of atherosclerosis - an update. N Engl J Med 314:488–500
Schaefer HE (1981) The role of macrophages in atherosclerosis. In: Schmalzl F, Huhn D, Schaefer HE (eds) Disorders of the monocyte-macrophage system, vol 27: Haematology, blood, transfusion.Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 137–142
Schmidt E, Osborn M, Rungger-Brändle E, Gabbiani G, Weber K, Franke WW (1982) Distribution of Vimentin and desmin in smooth muscle tissue of mammalian and avian aorta. Exp Cell Res 137:329–340
Schwartz CJ, Sprague EA, Kelley JL, Valente AJ, Suenram CA (1985) Aortic intimal monocyte recruitment in the normo- and hypercholesterolemic baboon (Papio cynocephalus). Virchows Arch [A] 405:175–191
Sorg C (1986) Personal communication
Stary HC (1983) Macrophages in coronary artery and aortic intima and in atherosclerotic lesions of children and young adults up to age 29. In: Schettler FG, Goffo AM, Middelhoff G, Habenicht AJR, Jurutka K (eds) 6th International Symposium on Atherosclerosis, Berlin 1982. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 462–466
Witte LD, Cornicelli JA (1980) Platelet-derived growth factor stimulates low density lipoprotein receptor activity in cultures human fibroblasts. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 77:596–5966
Zwadlo G, Feige U, Bassewitz DB von, Bröcker EB, Sorg C (1983) Monoclonal antibodies against human macrophages: Distribution of macrophage subtypes in normal, inflammatory, and tumor tissue. Immunobiology 165:242
Zwadlo G, Bröcker EB, Bassewitz DB von, Feige U, Sorg C (1985) A monoclonal antibody to a differentiation antigen present on mature human macrophages and absent from monocytes. J Immunol 134:1487–1492
Zwadlo G, Schlegel R, Sorg C (1986) A monoclonal antibody to a subset of human monocytes found only in the peripheral blood and inflammatory tissues. J Immunol 137:512–518
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by Landesamt für Forschung Nordrhein-Westfalen
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Roessner, A., Herrera, A., Höning, H.J. et al. Identification of macrophages and smooth muscle cells with monoclonal antibodies in the human atherosclerotic plaque. Vichows Archiv A Pathol Anat 412, 169–174 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00716190
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00716190