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Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein Associates With a Vulnerable Plaque Phenotype in Human Atherosclerotic Plaques

Hultman, Karin LU ; Edsfeldt, Andreas LU ; Björkbacka, Harry LU orcid ; Dunér, Pontus LU ; Sundius, Lena LU ; Nitulescu, Mihaela LU ; Persson, Ana LU ; Boyle, Joseph J ; Nilsson, Jan LU and Hultgårdh-Nilsson, Anna LU , et al. (2019) In Stroke 50(11). p.3289-3292
Abstract

Background and Purpose- Extracellular matrix proteins are important in atherosclerotic disease by influencing plaque stability and cellular behavior but also by regulating inflammation. COMP (cartilage oligomeric matrix protein) is present in healthy human arteries and expressed by smooth muscle cells. A recent study showed that transplantation of COMP-deficient bone marrow to apoE-/- mice increased atherosclerotic plaque formation, indicating a role for COMP also in bone marrow-derived cells. Despite the evidence of a role for COMP in murine atherosclerosis, knowledge is lacking about the role of COMP in human atherosclerotic disease. Methods- In the present study, we investigated if COMP was associated with a stable or a vulnerable... (More)

Background and Purpose- Extracellular matrix proteins are important in atherosclerotic disease by influencing plaque stability and cellular behavior but also by regulating inflammation. COMP (cartilage oligomeric matrix protein) is present in healthy human arteries and expressed by smooth muscle cells. A recent study showed that transplantation of COMP-deficient bone marrow to apoE-/- mice increased atherosclerotic plaque formation, indicating a role for COMP also in bone marrow-derived cells. Despite the evidence of a role for COMP in murine atherosclerosis, knowledge is lacking about the role of COMP in human atherosclerotic disease. Methods- In the present study, we investigated if COMP was associated with a stable or a vulnerable human atherosclerotic plaque phenotype by analyzing 211 carotid plaques for COMP expression using immunohistochemistry. Results- Plaque area that stained positive for COMP was significantly larger in atherosclerotic plaques associated with symptoms (n=110) compared with asymptomatic plaques (n=101; 9.7% [4.7-14.3] versus 5.6% [2.8-9.8]; P=0.0002). COMP was positively associated with plaque lipids (r=0.32; P=0.000002) and CD68 cells (r=0.15; P=0.036) but was negatively associated with collagen (r=-0.16; P=0.024), elastin (r=-0.14; P=0.041), and smooth muscle cells (r=-0.25; P=0.0002). COMP was positively associated with CD163 (r=0.37; P=0.00000006), a scavenger receptor for hemoglobin/haptoglobin and a marker of Mhem macrophages, and with intraplaque hemorrhage, measured as glycophorin A staining (r=0.28; P=0.00006). Conclusions- The present study shows that COMP is associated to symptomatic carotid atherosclerosis, CD163-expressing cells, and a vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque phenotype in humans.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
atherosclerosis, extracellular matrix, plaque, vulnerability
in
Stroke
volume
50
issue
11
pages
4 pages
publisher
American Heart Association
external identifiers
  • pmid:31495329
  • scopus:85074242269
ISSN
1524-4628
DOI
10.1161/STROKEAHA.119.026457
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
97319470-a7f3-47be-b4f8-48d03f17ade5
date added to LUP
2019-11-15 11:54:18
date last changed
2022-04-18 19:01:41
@article{97319470-a7f3-47be-b4f8-48d03f17ade5,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background and Purpose- Extracellular matrix proteins are important in atherosclerotic disease by influencing plaque stability and cellular behavior but also by regulating inflammation. COMP (cartilage oligomeric matrix protein) is present in healthy human arteries and expressed by smooth muscle cells. A recent study showed that transplantation of COMP-deficient bone marrow to apoE-/- mice increased atherosclerotic plaque formation, indicating a role for COMP also in bone marrow-derived cells. Despite the evidence of a role for COMP in murine atherosclerosis, knowledge is lacking about the role of COMP in human atherosclerotic disease. Methods- In the present study, we investigated if COMP was associated with a stable or a vulnerable human atherosclerotic plaque phenotype by analyzing 211 carotid plaques for COMP expression using immunohistochemistry. Results- Plaque area that stained positive for COMP was significantly larger in atherosclerotic plaques associated with symptoms (n=110) compared with asymptomatic plaques (n=101; 9.7% [4.7-14.3] versus 5.6% [2.8-9.8]; P=0.0002). COMP was positively associated with plaque lipids (r=0.32; P=0.000002) and CD68 cells (r=0.15; P=0.036) but was negatively associated with collagen (r=-0.16; P=0.024), elastin (r=-0.14; P=0.041), and smooth muscle cells (r=-0.25; P=0.0002). COMP was positively associated with CD163 (r=0.37; P=0.00000006), a scavenger receptor for hemoglobin/haptoglobin and a marker of Mhem macrophages, and with intraplaque hemorrhage, measured as glycophorin A staining (r=0.28; P=0.00006). Conclusions- The present study shows that COMP is associated to symptomatic carotid atherosclerosis, CD163-expressing cells, and a vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque phenotype in humans.</p>}},
  author       = {{Hultman, Karin and Edsfeldt, Andreas and Björkbacka, Harry and Dunér, Pontus and Sundius, Lena and Nitulescu, Mihaela and Persson, Ana and Boyle, Joseph J and Nilsson, Jan and Hultgårdh-Nilsson, Anna and Bengtsson, Eva and Gonçalves, Isabel}},
  issn         = {{1524-4628}},
  keywords     = {{atherosclerosis; extracellular matrix; plaque; vulnerability}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{11}},
  pages        = {{3289--3292}},
  publisher    = {{American Heart Association}},
  series       = {{Stroke}},
  title        = {{Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein Associates With a Vulnerable Plaque Phenotype in Human Atherosclerotic Plaques}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.119.026457}},
  doi          = {{10.1161/STROKEAHA.119.026457}},
  volume       = {{50}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}