Petursdottir V, Nordborg E, Moraghebi N, Persson M, Nordborg C
Department of Pathology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden.
Clin Exp Rheumatol. 1999 Nov-Dec;17(6):671-7.
Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a chronic form of vasculitis which predominantly affects women over 50 years of age. The aim of this study was to analyse the presence of estrogen receptor alpha (ER) in the temporal arteries of patients with GCA.
Inflamed temporal artery biopsies from 43 GCA patients were stained with monoclonal antibodies to two different segments of the ER and compared with non-inflamed arteries from age- and sex-matched controls who had not received a clinical diagnosis of GCA. The protein that was extracted from 4 GCA-positive biopsies and 4 non-GCA controls was analysed using the Western blot method with a monoclonal antibody to ER. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis using primer pairs specific to ER-cDNA was performed on the total RNA from 4 GCA-positive biopsies and 4 non-GCA controls.
The inflamed arteries expressed distinct cytoplasmic immunoreactivity to ER in activated mononuclear inflammatory cells and in giant cells. Biopsies from GCA patients and controls displayed cytoplasmic ER positivity in smooth muscle cells. Western blot analysis revealed two bands corresponding to approximately 64 and 54 kDa, respectively, in the inflamed arteries and controls. In the inflamed biopsies and non-GCA controls, RT-PCR analysis revealed a strong band corresponding to approximately 670 bp, as expected, and a weaker band corresponding to approximately 440 bp.
In inflamed arteries from GCA patients, smooth muscle cells, activated mononuclear inflammatory cells and giant cells express cytoplasmic ER. Non-inflamed control arteries also express cytoplasmic ER in smooth muscle cells. The accumulation of cytoplasmic ER may suggest the involvement of estrogen not only in GCA but also in normal vascular aging. The results justify further investigations into the pathogenetic roles of estrogen metabolism in GCA.
巨细胞动脉炎（GCA）是一种慢性血管炎形式，主要影响50岁以上女性。本研究的目的是分析GCA患者颞动脉中雌激素受体α（ER）的存在情况。
对43例GCA患者的炎症颞动脉活检组织用针对ER两个不同片段的单克隆抗体进行染色，并与年龄和性别匹配、未临床诊断为GCA的对照者的非炎症动脉进行比较。用针对ER的单克隆抗体通过蛋白质印迹法分析从4例GCA阳性活检组织和4例非GCA对照中提取的蛋白质。对4例GCA阳性活检组织和4例非GCA对照的总RNA进行逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）分析，使用针对ER-cDNA的引物对。
炎症动脉在活化的单核炎性细胞和巨细胞中对ER表现出明显的细胞质免疫反应性。GCA患者和对照者的活检组织在平滑肌细胞中显示细胞质ER阳性。蛋白质印迹分析显示，炎症动脉和对照中分别有两条带，对应于约64 kDa和54 kDa。在炎症活检组织和非GCA对照中，RT-PCR分析显示如预期的一条对应于约670 bp的强带和一条对应于约440 bp的弱带。
在GCA患者的炎症动脉中，平滑肌细胞、活化的单核炎性细胞和巨细胞表达细胞质ER。非炎症对照动脉在平滑肌细胞中也表达细胞质ER。细胞质ER的积累可能提示雌激素不仅参与GCA，还参与正常血管老化。这些结果证明有必要进一步研究雌激素代谢在GCA发病机制中的作用。
