PMID- 15604599
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20050222
LR  - 20061115
IS  - 1018-1172 (Print)
IS  - 1018-1172 (Linking)
VI  - 42
IP  - 1
DP  - 2005 Jan-Feb
TI  - Smooth muscle cell hypertrophy in varicose veins is associated with expression of 
      estrogen receptor-beta.
PG  - 8-12
AB  - Varicose veins are characterized by dilated and thickened vein walls. This study 
      examined whether the changes that occur in varicose veins are associated with 
      smooth muscle cell (SMC) hypertrophy, cellular proliferation or apoptosis. 
      Moreover, the association between SMC hypertrophy and the expression of the 
      estrogen receptor-beta (ERbeta) was investigated. Varicose veins were obtained 
      from male patients during vascular stripping surgery (n = 11) and nonvaricose 
      veins during coronary bypass surgery, also from male subjects (n = 12). The 
      cellular volume of the SMC in both the longitudinal and circular layer of the 
      vessel wall was measured using stereological methods. Apoptosis was detected 
      using the TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick 
      end-labeling) technique. SMC proliferation and ERbeta expression were 
      investigated by immunohistochemistry. Neither in the longitudinal nor in the 
      circular layer of the varicose vein wall were signs of apoptosis or proliferation 
      present. However, the mean cellular volume of the SMC in the circular layer of 
      the varicose veins was strongly increased (5,291 +/- 363 microm3) as compared to 
      non-varicose veins (2,812 +/- 212 microm3, p < 0.001). Moreover, ERbeta 
      expression in the circular layer of varicose veins (63 +/- 4%) significantly 
      differed from nonvaricose veins (39 +/- 4%; p = 0.001). Interestingly, the SMC 
      volume correlated with ERbeta expression (r = 0.71, p < 0.001). These data show 
      that cell death or proliferation of SMC do not, or only rarely, occur in varicose 
      veins. However, remodeling of varicose veins can mainly be attributed to 
      increased volumes of the SMC of the circular layer and this increase correlates 
      with ERbeta expression.
FAU - Knaapen, Michiel W M
AU  - Knaapen MW
AD  - HistoGeneX, Edegem, Belgium. knaapen@histogenex.com
FAU - Somers, Pamela
AU  - Somers P
FAU - Bortier, Hilde
AU  - Bortier H
FAU - De Meyer, Guido R Y
AU  - De Meyer GR
FAU - Kockx, Mark M
AU  - Kockx MM
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
DEP - 20041213
PL  - Switzerland
TA  - J Vasc Res
JT  - Journal of vascular research
JID - 9206092
RN  - 0 (Estrogen Receptor beta)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adult
MH  - Estrogen Receptor beta/*analysis
MH  - Humans
MH  - Hypertrophy
MH  - Immunohistochemistry
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/*pathology
MH  - Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/*pathology
MH  - Varicose Veins/*pathology
EDAT- 2004/12/18 09:00
MHDA- 2005/02/23 09:00
CRDT- 2004/12/18 09:00
PHST- 2004/06/22 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2004/10/05 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2004/12/18 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2005/02/23 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2004/12/18 09:00 [entrez]
AID - 82723 [pii]
AID - 10.1159/000082723 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - J Vasc Res. 2005 Jan-Feb;42(1):8-12. doi: 10.1159/000082723. Epub 2004 Dec 13.