Immunophenotypic analysis of the aortic aneurysm wall suggests that vascular dendritic cells are involved in immune responses.

OBJECTIVE

Inflammatory infiltrates similar to those in atherosclerotic plaques are prominent in the abdominal aortic aneurysm wall. Antigen presenting vascular dendritic cells are present in both early and advanced atherosclerotic lesions but their possible participation in abdominal aortic aneurysms has not been previously examined. This study reports the presence of vascular dendritic cells in abdominal aortic aneurysms and their participation in immune responses.

METHODS

Samples of the anterior wall were collected from 18 atherosclerotic infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms ranging in diameter from 5-8 cm. All the patients were operated upon electively and no ruptured or rapidly expanding abdominal aortic aneurysms were included. Specimens were immediately frozen or fixed in 10% buffered formalin. Vascular dendritic cells were identified with anti-CD1a or with S-100. T cells and T cell subpopulations were identified with anti-CD3, anti-CD4 and anti-CD8. B cells were studied with anti-CD20. Analyses were carried out in sets of consecutive parallel sections immunostained with these antibodies and double immunostaining included different combinations of antigens such as CD1a/CD3, S-100/CD4, S-100/CD8.

RESULTS

Most inflammatory infiltrates were found in the adventitia. These infiltrates contained B cells (CD20+) and T cells (CD3+) with their CD4+ and CD3+ cell subpopulations. In the aneurysm wall, CD1a+/S-100+ cells exhibiting dendritic appearance were detected and double immunostaining demonstrated that these vascular dendritic cells contained different lymphocyte populations including CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and CD20+ cells. In some inflammatory infiltrates, B cells (CD20+) represented the predominant cell population (60-80%). Double immunostaining demonstrated that, in these infiltrates, vascular dendritic cells contacted CD20+ cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Vascular dendritic cells are involved in immune reactions in the aneurysm wall, and this process mostly occurs in the adventitia. Vascular dendritic cells contact both T cells and B cells, suggesting that these vascular dendritic cells differ from other dendritic cells, subtypes of which associate with T cells (Langerhans cells, interdigitating cells) and B cells (follicular dendritic cells).