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Hoffmann, R. A wiki for the life sciences where authorship matters. Nature Genetics (2008)
 
 
 
 
 

Alteration of elastin, collagen and their cross-links in abdominal aortic aneurysms.

OBJECTIVES: although the mechanism of arterial dilation and aneurysm development has not been clarified, the degradation of elastin and collagen plays undoubtedly a critical role. We evaluated the elastin and collagen content through the detection of their cross-links in aneurysmal and non-aneurysmal abdominal aortic walls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: in 26 human abdominal aortic aneurysm specimens obtained during surgery and in 24 autopsy control samples of non-aneurysmal abdominal aorta the tissue content of elastin and collagen cross-links were measured by HPLC. Collagen was also detected by evaluating two characteristic amino acids, 4-hydroxyproline (4-hypro) with a colorimetric method and 5-hydroxylysine (5-hylys) by gas chromatography. RESULTS: significantly fewer elastin cross-links were found in aneurysm samples compared to controls (desmosines and isodesmosines: 90% reduction; p<0.01). The opposite was true for pyridinoline collagen cross-links (350% increase) and deoxypyridinolines (100% increase, p=0.01). Tissue content of 5-hylys, 4-hypro and total amino acids were reduced significantly by 50% in aneurysmal samples. CONCLUSIONS: beside confirming decreased elastin content in aneurysmal walls, these results show a concurrent increase of collagen cross-links. Since total collagen markers were decreased (decreased 4-hypro and 5-hylys) it is reasonable to suggest that in aneurysmal aortic walls old collagen accumulates cross-links while new collagen biosynthesis is somehow defective.[1]

References

  1. Alteration of elastin, collagen and their cross-links in abdominal aortic aneurysms. Carmo, M., Colombo, L., Bruno, A., Corsi, F.R., Roncoroni, L., Cuttin, M.S., Radice, F., Mussini, E., Settembrini, P.G. European journal of vascular and endovascular surgery : the official journal of the European Society for Vascular Surgery. (2002) [Pubmed]
 
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