The leading cause of death is cardiovascular diseases in occidental countries. Of those, atherosclerosis is the major contributor to this burden being notably responsible for strokes and myocardial infarctions. The genesis of atherosclerosis is linked to both lipid accumulation and inflammation in the vascular wall of major arteries. One of the major pathways of inflammation is the TGF-beta axis which is at least partially regulated by the GARP protein. It has been investigated mostly in cancer biology but data in cardiovascular disease is lacking. Thus, the investigators aim to characterize the contribution of this protein by investigating its expression in tissue from patients with atherosclerosis, the carotid or femoral plaque representing a good source of residual material adequate for research purpose. The main cells expressing the GARP protein are the platelets and the T regulating cells which will be the main focus.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
200
Tissue sample and data collection
Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc
Brussels, Belgium
GARP Expression in Platelets
The number of cells/area expressing the GARP protein will be assessed
Time frame: Throughout the entire study, approximately during 3 years
GARP Expression T Regulating Cells
The number of cells expressing GARP will be assessed as a number of cells / area
Time frame: Throughout the entire study, approximately during 3 years
GARP Expression General
The type of cells expressing GARP will be assessed as a number of cells / area
Time frame: Throughout the entire study, approximately during 3 years
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