[Monocyte chemotactic protein-1 expression in coronary atherosclerosis plaque of sudden coronary death patients].

Objective: To investigate the expression of monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) in coronary atherosclerosis plaque of sudden coronary death (SCD) patients and the relationship between MCP-1 expression and SCD.
Methods: Autopsy heart samples (n = 90) collected during 2001 - 2003 were divided to SCD group (n = 36) and 2 control groups: control group I, non-SCD CHD (n = 28), control group II, non-cardiac death (n = 26). The immuno-histochemistry SABC techniques (R, positive MCP-1 cell area/totl area) and computerized images analysis (A) were performed to detect the expression of MCP-1 in different groups.
Results: R and A in plaques are significant higher in SCD group than control group I and II (0.1264 +/- 0.013 vs 0.0269 +/- 0.0110 and 0.0267 +/- 0.0100, P = 0.04), (0.4534 +/- 0.083 vs 0.2303 +/- 0.040 and 0.2158 +/- 0.0400, P = 0.00), and similar between control group I and control group II.
Conclusions: MCP-1 expression is increased in coronary atherosclerosis plaque of SCD patients.