Figure 1 Photomicrographs of representative valve lesions showing detection of C reactive protein (CRP) in degenerative aortic valves by immunohistochemistry. Signals occur in valvar fibrosa but not in the valvar spongiosa, with a higher percentage of cell bound signals in degenerative aortic valve bioprostheses (BP) with a typically decreased cellularity than in degenerative native valves (non‐rheumatic aortic valve stenosis (AS)). Non‐degenerative native valves did not show any signalling and served as negative controls. Bar  =  25 μm.