Purpose The objective of the study was to evaluate the frequency and severity of atherosclerotic lesions in extracranial sections of carotid arteries and to determine the level of the correlation between these lesions and symptoms of cerebral ischemia. Secondly, to identify the most common risk factors of ischaemic stroke occurrence in population of patients of vascular outpatient clinic. Material and Methods Prospective study was conducted on a group of 1,000 people (217 women and 783 men), aged 50 to 86 years, the average age was 62 years (± 9.95). Results Atherosclerotic lesions of carotid arteries were observed in 670 examined people (67%). In 63 cases (6.3%) carotid artery occlusion was revealed. Patients with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis more frequently were addicted to cigarettes and suffered from hypertension in comparison to asymptomatic group. A statistically significant correlation between the TIA or ischemic stroke and smoking were noticed, as well as between TIA/ischemic stroke and hypertension Conclusions Among patients with atherosclerosis of peripheral arteries atherosclerotic lesions in the extracranial carotid sections occur with a high frequency. Statistically significant differences in the incidence and severity of atherosclerotic lesions in the carotid arteries were observed in this group. A statistically significant correlation was revealed between the prevalence and severity of atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries in symptomatic patients and smoking and hypertension. Performing screening in patients with atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta and/or lower limb arteries may detect significant carotid artery stenosis, requiring surgical intervention.
Highly efficient systems remove the toxic and proinflammatory haemoglobin from the circulation and local sites of tissue damage. Macrophages are major haemoglobin-clearing cells; CD163 was recently recognized as the specific haemoglobin scavenger receptor (HbSR). It is tightly involved in both physiological as well as pathophysiological processes, such as cytoprotection and inflammation. Haemoglobin functions as a double-edged sword. In moderate quantities and bound to haptoglobin, it forms a ligand for haemoglobin scavenger receptor CD163/HbSR, but when unleashed in large amounts, it can become toxic by mediating oxidative stress and inflammation. CD163/HbSR plays a crucial role in the control of inflammatory processes, probably in part through its effects on both ferritin induction and subsequent induction of antiinflammatory pathways through interleukin-10 and haem oxygenase. Besides the observation that the haemoglobin scavenger receptor provides a promising target for new treatment possibilities, it offers a novel view on the aetiology of diverse physiological as well as pathophysiological processes. In addition, monocyte CD163/HbSR and soluble CD163/HbSR are potential diagnostic tools in a variety of disease states, such as inflammation, atherosclerosis, transplant rejection, and carcinoma.
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