Epicardial adipose tissue, inflammation, fibrosis and coronary artery diseases
Abstract Purpose: Accumulation of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is associated with severity and progression of coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this study was to compare EAT fibrosis, inflammation, Hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF1-α) and caveolin-1 (CAV-1) between subjects with and without CAD.Methods and Results: Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment index, serum leptin and adiponectin were evaluated in EAT of patients with and without CAD undergoing elective surgery. Biopsies were collected from EAT. Immunohistochemistry for macrophages CD68, CD11c, CD163, HIF1-α and CAV-1 was performed and Masson Trichrome staining to define the degree of fibrosis.A total of 22 male patients (age range from 51-80 years), were studied: 12 CAD and 10 non-CAD undergoing elective surgery.Fibrosis, HIF1-α, number of total CD68, CD163 and CD11c were higher in CAD than in non-CAD patients, whilst serum adiponectin and CAV-1 significantly lower. In 4 patients with CAD, but in none in those without, macrophages aggregated in crown like structure were found. Fibrosis correlated with HIF1-α and M1 pro-inflammatory CD11c (+) macrophages; HIF1-α with total, M1 pro-inflammatory CD11c (+) and M2 anti-inflammatory CD163 (+) macrophages; Caveolin-1 positively correlated with serum adiponectin.Conclusions: CAD patients displays a dysfunctional EAT characterized by greater inflammation, fibrosis, HIF1-α and lower CAV. Our results seem to suggest that adiponectin may decline CAD risk even by determining an increase of CAV-1. Level of evidence: III cross-sectional study.