[T8-positive lymphocytes in inflammatory infiltrates of the vascular wall in nonspecific aortoarteritis].

Artery specimens obtained during surgical manipulations from 11 patients suffering from nonspecific aortoarteritis (NAA) were studied immunohistochemically for T4, T8-positive lymphocytes, LFA-1-positive lymphocytes, basal membrane (BM) proteins: laminin and type IV collagen. T8-positive and LFA-1-positive cells were shown to be predominant in the sites of injury. The results obtained point out to the presence of cytotoxic cells in the affected arteries. The targets for such cytotoxic cells are medial smooth muscle cells rather then intimal cells, whereas intimal cells become hyperplastic, expressing BM proteins, which proves their smooth muscular origin. The above data support the suggestion on the autoimmune etiology of NAA.