Biological Features (Inflammation and Neoangiogenesis) and Atherosclerotic Risk Factors in Carotid Plaques and Calcified Aortic Valve Stenosis: Two Different Sites of the Same Disease?

Abstract

Neoangiogenesis and inflammation have a pivotal role in atherosclerosis. Observations support the hypothesis that calcified aortic valve stenosis is an inflammatory process, similar to atherosclerosis in tissue features and risk factors. We studied 2 groups of cases: 47 were affected by hemodynamic atherosclerotic carotid plaque (group 1) and 35 by severe calcified aortic valve stenosis (group 2). We compared the groups for atherosclerosis risk factors, morphologic features, and immunohistochemical phenotypes.