Does Immunity Play a Role in the Development of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms?

Abstract

It has been postulated that immune mechanisms may be involved in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). To test this hypothesis, tissue was taken from the walls of AAAs in patients undergoing corrective surgery and, with a view to comparison, from the aortic walls of patients undergoing bypass surgery, and assayed for the presence or absence of immune complexes. Blood was also taken from each group and tested for complement activity, complement activation products, and autoantibodies to smooth muscle and mitochondria. No evidence was found of immune response in either group of patients. It would seem that the immune response has no role in the development of AAA or occlusive disease of the abdominal aorta.