Expression of cytokeratin 8 in human aortic smooth muscle cells.

An immunofluorescence method was used to study the expression of cytokeratin 8 in human aortic smooth muscle cells (SMCs) during prenatal development and in atherosclerotic plaques. Aortic SMCs from a 10-wk-old fetus contained cytokeratin 8 in additional to vimentin and a small amount of desmin, whereas, in the cells from a 25-wk-old fetus, cytokeratin 8 was not detected. Cytokeratin 8 was found in the SMCs from intimal thickenings, fatty streaks, and atherosclerotic fibrous plaques. Clusters of cytokeratin 8-positive cells were more abundant in rather advanced lesions (fibrous plaques) that contained at least some amount of lipid. Expression of cytokeratin 8 in the cells of human atherosclerotic lesions probably reflects general rearrangement of gene expression in the intimal cells.