Selective and marked decrease of complement receptor C5aR2 in human thoracic aortic aneurysms: a dysregulation with potential inflammatory effects

Bioinformatics Analysis Reveals Cell Cycle-Related Gene Upregulation in Ascending Aortic Tissues From Murine Models

Thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection (TAAD) is a high-risk aortic disease. Mouse models are usually used to explore the pathological progression of TAAD. In our studies, we performed bioinformatics analysis on a microarray dataset (GSE36778) and verified experiments to define the integrated hub genes of TAAD in three different mouse models. Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analyses, and histological and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) experiments were used in our study. First, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, and twelve common differentially expressed genes were found. Second, genes related to the cell cycle and inflammation were enriched by using GO and PPI. We focused on filtering and validating eighteen hub genes that were upregulated. Then, expression data from human ascending aortic tissues in the GSE153434 dataset were also used to verify our findings. These results indicated that cell cycle-related genes participate in the pathological mechanism of TAAD and provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms of TAAD.

nnResearch progress on B cells and thoracic aortic aneurysm/dissection

Thoracic aortic aneurysm/dissection (TAAD) is a rare cardiovascular disease characterized by acute onset, rapid progression and high morbidity and mortality. One of the crucial factors leading to TAAD is the inflammatory response, which is regulated by many immune cell subgroups, including B cells. Compared with normal aortic tissue, the number of B cells in the aortic tissue of TAAD patients is significantly higher. Activated B cells participate in the vascular immune inflammatory response by producing antibodies and inflammatory factors and activating the complement system. These effects can lead to collagen degradation and aortic wall remodeling, both of which are the main pathologic characteristics of TAAD. Therefore, B cells play a key role in the occurrence and development of TAAD. B cells can be divided into B1 cells, B2 cells and regulatory B cells, which have different mechanisms of action in TAAD. This article will review the role of B cells in TAAD from the perspective of three different subtypes of B cells.