Table 4.

Overview of Selected Potential Functional Markers

Subdivision	Antibody, Reference	Function	Tested Immunohistochemistry Suitability
Synthetic	1. Collagen type I 28 , 90 , 91	Provides tensile strength of the arterial wall 110 In pathologic conditions, collagen contributes to plaque growth and serves as a depot for atherogenic molecules 111	Nonspecific staining
	2. Procollagen type 1 25 , 92 , 93	Precursor of collagen I, the most abundant collagen in ECM 112	Weak to no staining; in higher concentrations, nonspecific staining
	3. Prolyl 4‐hydroxylase β 16 , 33 , 94	Involved in hydroxylation of prolyl residues in preprocollagen 113 , 114	Works well
	4. Osteopontin 40 , 95 , 96	Mediates cell migration, adhesion, and survival of SMCs and endothelial cells and functions as Th1 cytokine 115 , 116	Works well, but extracellular presence hampers cell phenotyping
	5. Fibronectin 25 , 48 , 97	ECM constituent with great diversity of cellular functions, including adhesion, cytoskeletal organization, migration, growth, and differentiation 117	Works well, but extracellular presence hampers cell phenotyping
	6. Laminin 40 , 97 , 98	ECM constituent (base membrane) with great diversity of cellular functions, including adhesion, migration, differentiation, and proliferation 118 , 119	Works well, but extracellular presence hampers cell phenotyping
	7. CRBP‐1 27 , 47 , 99	Regulation of uptake, intracellular transport, and metabolism of retinol 120	No protein expression detectable in AAA and atherosclerotic tissue
	8. PDGFR‐α 43 , 100 , 101	PDGF‐α is a mitogen for mesenchymal cells and regulates proliferation, migration, and differentiation during embryonic development 121 , 122	Nonspecific staining
Proinflammatory	9. NF‐ĸB 29 , 102 , 103	Pivotal mediator of inflammatory responses by inducing proinflammatory genes and regulating the survival, activation, and differentiation of innate immune cells and inflammatory T cells 123	Low protein expression in vessel wall
	10. Interleukin 6 103 , 104 , 105	Proangiogenic and proinflammatory/anti‐inflammatory cytokine, predominantly associated with plasma cells and macrophages 124 , 125	Works well
	11. MCP‐1 105 , 106 , 107	Regulates migration and infiltration of monocytes/macrophages 126	No protein expression detectable in AAA and atherosclerotic tissue
	12. Interleukin 8 104 , 108 , 109	Proangiogenic and proinflammatory cytokine, predominantly associated with lymphocytes and neutrophils; promotes neutrophil infiltration and activation, and can exert strong proangiogenic activities 127 , 128	Works well

AAA, abdominal aortic aneurysm; CRBP‐1 indicates cellular retinol‐binding protein 1; ECM, extracellular membrane; MCP‐1, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1; NF‐κB, nuclear factor‐κB; PDGF‐α, platelet‐derived growth factor α; PDGFR‐α, PDGF‐α receptor; SMC, smooth muscle cell; and Th1, T‐helper type 1 T‐cell.