Diabetologie und Stoffwechsel 2014; 9 - P99
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1374956

Perivascular and subcutaneous adipose tissue differ in internal carotid artery (ACI) Stenosis patients

D Schleinitz 1, P Büttner 2, A Körner 3, B Gutsmann 1, M Fasold 4, M Eszlinger 5, S Rohm 6, O Richter 6, G Aust 6, P Kovacs 1
  • 1University of Leipzig, Medical Faculty – IFB AdiposityDiseases, Leipzig, Germany
  • 2University Leipzig, Cardiocenter Rhythmologie F&L, Leipzig, Germany
  • 3University Leipzig, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Department for Women and Child Health, University Hospital Leipzig, Centre for Paediatric Research, Leipzig, Germany
  • 4University Leipzig, Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig, Germany
  • 5University Leipzig, Medical Faculty – Division of Endocrinology and Nephrology, Leipzig, Germany
  • 6University Leipzig, Department of Surgery, Clinic of Visceral, Transplantation, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Leipzig, Germany

Background: There is growing evidence for a vasoregulatory and atherosclerosis-inducing role of local fat deposits around vessels. Aim of the study was to investigate gene expression profiles in paired human samples of subcutaneous (sc) and perivascular (pv) adipose tissue (AT) and to link it to clinical and anthropometric characteristics of carotid stenosis patients.

Material and methods: A RNA/cDNA bank was established from paired sc (cervical) and pv (ACI) AT samples of patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy. Marker genes e.g. for muscle, fibroblasts or nerve have been measured to control for impurities of “non-adipocyte” cells. Sixty paired samples passed and were assayed on Illumina HT12 microarrays. We tested for differential expression using background-corrected, quantile-normalized values and paired/standard t-test. P-values have been corrected for multiple testing using FDR methodology. Correlation analyses were conducted.

Results: We found differentially expressed genes between sc and pc AT clearly distinguishing both AT types. Among the top hits are developmental genes like HOX genes or TBX15, but also genes involved in atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. Intra-depot comparison of e.g. symptomatic vs. asymptomatic or lean vs. obese patients revealed genes with nominal differences in mRNA levels, which however, correlated with anthropometric and metabolic parameters (BMI, triglycerides, cholesterol, % stenosis).

Conclusion: Our results indicate that perivascular adipose tissue may exert an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.