Abstract
Background
Inflammation is an established risk factor for atherosclerosis. In an inflammatory state, nuclear factor‐κ B (NF‐κB) is frequently activated as a key transcription activator for the downstream responses.
Hypothesis
The aim of this study was to investigate the changes of NF‐κB in the aorta of patients with coronary atherosclerosis and its association with atherosclerotic risk factors.
Methods
From 2004 to 2005, we collected a small piece of ascending aorta in the bypass procedure from patients (n = 31) undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. The expression of NF‐κB was determined by immunohistochemistry, and its transcriptional activity was evaluated by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Celiac aortic tissues from 4 subjects without known atherosclerosis through the kidney donation program were taken as control.
Results
NF‐κB was detectable in aortas from CABG patients with the transcriptional activities significantly increased. The relative level of aortic NF‐κB expression was elevated in patients who were smokers or with hypertension. Spearman correlation revealed that aortic NF‐κB expression had significant correlation with coronary severity scores (Gensini score, r = 0.608, P < .05). The NF‐κB expression was positively correlated with the levels of blood glucose, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, lipoprotein(a), total cholesterol, and non‐high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < .05); but negatively correlated with high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < .05).
Conclusions
Our study demonstrates a highly activated NF‐κB in aortas from patients with coronary atherosclerosis, which may reflect overall arterial overinflammatory status. The findings of hyperactive NF‐κB in aortas may provide a diagnostic parameter for the inflammation that is associated with and may cause atherosclerosis. Copyright © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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