In an unselected population sample of Bucharest, including 536 subjects (284 males and 252 females) aged up to 40 years, sex appeared as one of the most important factors influencing the pattern of coronary artery growth and remodelling, as well as the pattern of atherosclerotic involvement. The internal elastic membrane of the female coronary arteries of neonates, children, juveniles and adolescents manifested a lesser tendency to fragment, to interrupt and to exhibit elastolysis than did the corresponding internal elastic membrane of male subjects. In the anterior descending and circumflex arteries, female subjects had less intima than males of similar age. Women developed the first atherosclerotic plaques a decade later than men and at a similar age showed fewer atherosclerotic plaques and atheromas. These sex differences were statistically significant for the anterior descending and circumflex arteries, but not for the right coronary artery. During adulthood, the number of women with a three vessel involvement was half that of men. In successive age groups, the degree of luminal narrowing by atherosclerotic plaques was constantly and consistently lower in female than in male subjects.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Accelerated atherosclerosis in subjects with some minor deviations from the common type of distribution of human coronary arteries.

Gross dissection of the coronary arteries of 566 subjects aged 0--45 years from an unselected population sample of Bucharest revealed the presence of a similar anatomical branching pattern in 58% of cases. Starting from this common type of distribution of coronary arteries, some minor deviations were detected coexisting with a thicker intima, a more rapid onset and evolution of atherosclerotic plaques, and a more important degree of luminal obstruction. Among the 15 minor deviations described in this paper, 3 were constantly associated, 9 only occasionally associated and 3 not associated with an accelerated atherosclerosis. The most important of these atherogenic deviations was present in 29% of cases or in 1 out of every 3 or 4 subjects. In essence, these deviations consisted of an excessive increase in external diameter and length of the left coronary arterial system, coexisting with an underdeveloped right coronary arterial system, or vice versa. The atherogenic deviations from the common type of distribution of the coronary arteries seemed to represent an important genetically transmitted risk factor for coronary heart disease.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Histochemical study of the process of intimal histolysis.

Intimal histolysis begins, histochemically, with the removal of sulfate esters of acid mucopolysaccharides and of sialic acid of glycoproteins. The disappearance of the steric hindrance exerted by these acid groups if followed by the degradation of the ground substance and fibres. Certain particular aspects of this degradation are presented.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Study on the prevalence of eccentric and concentric atherosclerotic plaques in various segments of the coronary arterial tree, in unselected and selected Bucharest population samples.

A study was carried out on the prevalence and distribution of eccentric and concentric atherosclerotic plaques in the coronary arterial tree of 916 unselected apparently healthy subjects who died from accidents and of 150 selected patients who died from coronary heart disease. The results show that the percentages of eccentric and concentric plaques vary with age, sex, anatomical branching pattern and cause of death; there are also differences between major coronary arteries and main branch vessels. In addition to eccentric and concentric plaques, we revealed the existence of mixed (both eccentric and concentric) plaques, mainly located at branch points.

Accidents↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Light microscopic observations on fibrous plaque histogenesis in the coronary arteries of children.

An attempt was made to reconstruct the succession of structural changes which lead to the onset of fibrous plaques in the coronary arteries of children. The results show that certain branch pads or cushions act as precursors of the first fibrous plaques. The conversion of branch pads into atherosclerotic lesions includes edema, histolysis (elastolysis, collagenolysis, ground substance depletion and degenerative cell changes) and in a final step nodular proliferation of smooth muscle cells and abundant neoformation of collagen fibers. This conversion is followed by both reorganization and homogenization of the preexisting heterogeneous microarchitecture. The intermediate steps of pad conversion into atherosclerotic lesions were revealed in 4% of children 1 - 5 years old, 14% of children 6 - 10 years old and 24% of children and juveniles 11 - 15 years old; small, non-raised fibrous plaques were already present in 2% of children 6 - 10 years old and in 4% of children and juveniles 11 - 15 years old.

Adolescent↗