Emanuela Branchetti PhD1, Karianna R. Milewski MD PhD1, Eric Lai BS1

Rachana Sainger PhD1, Paolo Poggio MS1, Robert C. Gorman, Joseph E. Bavaria MD1

and Giovanni Ferrari PhD1

1 Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Philadelphia, PA

CTGF modulates Aortic Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell phenotype and regional tissue homeostasis

in Bicuspid Aortic Valve-associated Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms

None of the authors have financial interest in this work.

PATIENTS ENROLLMENT PATIENTS DEMOGRAPHICS

COMPARISON BETWEEN THE AORTIC WALL STRUCTURE OF TAV-C TISSUE AND TAV- AND BAV- AORTOPATHIES.

BAV AND TAV ASCENDING AORTA TISSUES WITH AND WITHOUT ANEURYSM SHOW DIFFERENCES IN THE EXPRESSION OF VSMC MARKERS OF

PHENOTYPE

REGIONAL WALL STRESS DISTRIBUTION IN THE ASCENDING AORTA

Modified from : Derek P. Nathan,Modified from : Derek P. Nathan, Chun Xu, Arminder S. Jassar, Joseph H. Chun Xu, Arminder S. Jassar, Joseph H. Gorman III,Gorman III, Ron M. Fairman, Joseph E. Bavaria, Robert C. Gorman, Benjamin Ron M. Fairman, Joseph E. Bavaria, Robert C. Gorman, Benjamin

M. Jackson. M. Jackson. Annals of Thoracic Surgery, October 2011.Annals of Thoracic Surgery, October 2011.

CTGF IS HIGHLY EXPRESSED IN BAV AND TAV TISSUES WITH ANEURYSM. CTGF UP-REGULATES ECM BIOSYNTHESIS AND IS INVOLVED IN THE

PHENOTYPIC CHANGE OF AORTIC VSMC IN VITRO.

VSMC PHENOTYPE AND CTGF EXPRESSION AT CV AND CX SIDE OF ASCENDING AORTA

CTGF INDUCES SYNTHETIC MARKERS OF PHENOTYPE IN VSMC ISOLATED FROM CONTROL AND ANEURISMAL AORTA

CONCLUSION AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Different stress conditions influence VSMC phenotype in BAV aorta. Characterize CTGF as a regulator of VSMC activation and ECM remodeling could serve as a risk stratification tool for BAV- and

TAV-associated aortopathies.