Lipid metabolism of the arterial wall in thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger's disease).

The uptake and incorporation of [I14-C] oleic acid by diseased arterial intima removed by thrombendarteriectomy in 3 patients with Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) was studied. The diagnosis of TAO had been established by clinical, angiographic and histological criteria. The uptake and distribution of the label was found very similar in TAO and normal intima and differed considerably from atherosclerotic intima, from fatty streaks as well as from fibro-fatty lesions. In fatty streak lesions the incorporation of [I14-C] oleic acid into phospholipid, triglyceride and cholesterol ester was significantly increased compared to TAO, normal intima and unbilical artery. In TAO the distribution of labeled lipids between subcellular fractions of the arterial intima was also studied and, as in normal intima, most of the cholesterol ester were found membrane-bound whereas in fibro-fatty lesions the bulk of the cholesterol ester was present in the lipid skin fraction. The incorporation of [I14-C] oleic acid into different phospholipids was highest in atherosclerotic intima while no significant differences were found between normal intima and TAO. These data suggest a different pathogenesis of TAO and atherosclerosis.