Site-Specific Secretome Map Evidences VSMC-Related Markers of Coronary Atherosclerosis Grade and Extent in the Hypercholesterolemic Swine

Figure 4

Correlation between secreted and tissue coronary CHI3L1 expression (by LC-MS/MS analysis and immunohistochemistry, resp.) and IMT ratio of corresponding segments at different Stary stages. Representative photomicrographs at low (bar = 200 μm) and high magnification (enlargements of intimal lesion area, insets; bar = 50 μm) from CHI3L1 antibody labeled cross sections of HF RCA segments (from (a) to (f)), according to ATS grade (Stary types I to V) demonstrate the correlation of CHI3L1 expression (dark brown staining indicates positivity) and of ATS stage with secreted CHI3L1 values (arrows). Secreted CHI3L1 expression (blue dots) and CHI3L1 immunoreactivity, expressed as percentage of intralesional positive cell area (red squares), hold direct and significantly linear relations () with the IMT ratio of the same segments.