Vascular-associated lymphoid tissue (VALT) involvement in aortic aneurysm

Abstract

Vascular-associated lymphoid tissue (VALT) consisting of accumulations of immunocompetent and antigen presenting cells has recently been recognised in the arterial wall. In this study, we investigated the involvement of VALT in immune responses in abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Tissue samples were collected during operations from 31 patients with atherosclerotic infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms ranging in diameters from 5 to 8 cm. The specimens were immediately frozen and examined using single and double immunohistochemical staining. T-cell subpopulations, B-cells, dendritic cells and macrophages were identified using cell type specific antibodies. Cell contacts were examined by electron microscopy. Most inflammatory infiltrates were found in the adventitia. T-cells were the predominant cell type in a majority of inflammatory infiltrates but in seventeen cases, typical lymphoid follicles with B-cells forming germinative centres were also observed. In eight cases, the lymphoid follicles aggregated in lymph node-like structures. Dendritic cells were present within all inflammatory infiltrates and contacted lymphocytes. The present observations show that in aortic aneurysm, VALT is involved in immune responses and its activation mostly occurs in the adventitia. The formation of lymphoid follicles and lymph node-like structures in the adventitia suggests that VALT might locally serve the entire complex of both cellular and humoral immune responses in the aneurysmal wall.