Pathological observation of degenerative aortic valve disease / 中国中西医结合急救杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the normal aortic valve histological manifestation and histopathological changes of degenerative aortic valve.Methods In Tianjin Chest Hospital,there were patients due to aortic valve disease undergoing aortic valve replacement surgery in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery,and in 22 cases,their pathological aorta tricuspid valves were successfully excised from May 2009 to May 2010.The aortic valve tissues were collected,and according to hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining of the degenerative calcified aortic valves with stenosis,they were divided into pathological valvular calcification locus group and non calcification locus group.Six morphologically normal aortic valve tissues were taken as a control group.The situation of collagen fibers,elastic fibers and collagen content in normal and disorder valves were analyzed by using of IDA-2000 high definition color medical image analysis system.Results With the naked eye,the thickness of the valve leaves with stenosis was increased,and at the valve leaf close to the side of arota,calcified foci were produced.Under light microscope,inflammatory changes were found in the aortic valve endothelium,in the tubular wall,there were aggregations of newly formed capillary with relatively thin wall,cholesterol crystals,cells similar to foam cells and diffuse and nodular calcification commonly seen,Compared with the normal valve,the ratio between collagenous and elastic fibers no matter at calcified or non-calcified region was greater in pathological valve [(3.19-± 1.01)％,(2.62-± 0.34)％ vs.(1.89-± 0.29)％,both P ＜ 0.05],collagen content (ratio =collagen/valve area) was also higher [(65.17 ± 11.48)％,(39.25-± 11.15)％ vs.(22.99 ± 4.78)％,P ＜ 0.05] in pathological valve,and the changes in calcified region were more significant than those in non-calcified region (both P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Proliferation of collagen and degradation of elastic fibers are obvious in degenerative aortic valve,and the changes are more prominent at calcified region.