Smooth muscle cells of the media in the dilatative pathology of ascending thoracic aorta: morphology, immunoreactivity for osteopontin, matrix metalloproteinases, and …

V Lesauskaite, P Tanganelli, C Sassi, E Neri, F Diciolla… - Human pathology, 2001 - Elsevier
The etiopathogenesis of thoracic aortic aneurysms is currently an issue of debate. The
present study investigated ultrastructural, morphometric, and immunohistochemical aspects
of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in chronic aneurysm of the thoracic aorta (aneurysm group),
aortic dilatation associated with valvular disease (valvular group), and dissection of the
thoracic aorta (dissection group). Fragments of the ascending aorta that had been taken
from the patients during coronary bypass surgery were used as controls. No significant …