LEVELS OF EXPRESSION OF P-SELECTIN, E-SELECTIN, AND INTERCELLULAR-ADHESION MOLECULE-1 IN CORONARY ATHERECTOMY SPECIMENS FROM PATIENTS WITH STABLE AND UNSTABLE ANGINA-PECTORIS

Unstable angina occurs when atherosclerotic plague ruptures. Recent ev idence suggests a role for inflammation in this process. Leukocyte-end othelial cell interactions are important in inflammation and are regul ated by cell adhesion molecules. This study wets designed to examine t he vascular expression of cell adhesion molecules and cytokines in pat ients with unstable angina. Directional coronary atherectomy was perfo rmed in patients with unstable and stable angina, Expression of the ce ll adhesion molecules P-selectin, E-selectin, and intercellular adhesi on molecule-1 in the tissue obtained was examined using immunohistoche mistry. In addition, expression of the cytokines tumor necrosis factor -alpha and interleukin-1 beta, which participate in the regulation of cell adhesion molecule expression, was also examined. Atherectomy spec imens had significantly greater P-selectin expression from patients wi th unstable angina than from patients with stable angina, P-selectin e xpression wets observed primarily on endothelial cells. There were no differences in any of the other factors between patients with unstable and stable angina, in addition, other clinical and angiographic varia bles were not associated with differential expression of any of the ce ll adhesion molecules or cytokines, These results indicate a possible role for P-selectin in the process of unstable angina. (C) 1997 by Exc erpta Medica, Inc.