Prevalence of intimal heat shock protein 60 homolo

Authors: René P Andrié Gerhard Bauriedel Peter Braun Hans W Höpp Georg Nickenig Dirk Skowasch

Publish Date: 2011/03/18

Volume: 106, Issue: 4, Pages: 657-665

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Abstract

Heat shock proteins HSPs are among the most highly conserved and immunogenic proteins shared by microbial agents and mammals Human h HSP60 is upregulated under stress conditions and serves as a target for crossreactive cytotoxic HSPserumantibodies The present study evaluates the expressions of hHSP60 and its homologue chlamydial c HSP60 in advanced human coronary lesions and correlates intimal tissuebound HSP expressions with circulating HSPantibodies Coronary atherectomy specimens retrieved from 100 primary target lesions of patients with unstable angina UA n = 40 or stable angina SA n = 60 were assessed immunohistochemically for the presence of hHSP60 and cHSP60 In a subgroup n = 40 blood samples were tested for antiChl pnIgG/IgAtiters and antiHSP65antibody titers Coronary plaques revealed immunoreactive hHSP60 in 55 and cHSP60 in 45 of the lesions Expression of both HSP homologues was significantly each p  0001 higher in UA lesions compared with SA lesions 74 vs 12 and 60 vs 11 HSP homologues showed positive correlations both in UA and SAlesions r = 041 033 p  005 cHSP60 showed no association with antiChl pnIgG/IgAtiters whereas expressions of both homologues correlated positive with antiHSP65Ab titers r = 042 p  005 r = 050 p  001 Intimal amounts of HSP60 homologues were associated with increased expressions of Creactive protein Tolllike receptor4 and tissue factor Human and chlamydial HSP60 colocalize within coronary atheroma most prevalent in lesions associated with UA Our data demonstrate a significant correlation between the intimal expressions of HSP60 homologues and serum HSP65 antibodies thereby suggesting that humoral immune reactions may play an important role in coronary atherosclerosis and plaque instability

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