ADAM33 expression in atherosclerotic lesions and relationship of ADAM33 gene variation with atherosclerosis

A-disintegrin-and-metalloproteinase-domains (ADAMs) are membrane-anchored glycoproteins involved in cell adhesion, cell migration and proteolysis. ADAM15 has been implicated in atherosclerosis, with an effect on vascular smooth muscle cell migration. We investigated whether ADAM33, which is evolutionally closely related to ADAM15, was expressed in atheromas and whether it had an effect on vascular smooth muscle migration. We also tested whether ADAM33 gene variation had an influence on the extent of atherosclerosis in patients with coronary artery disease. Immunohistochemical analyses showed that ADAM33 was expressed in smooth muscle cells in the arterial wall and that the expression was increased in smooth muscle cells in atheromas. ADAM33 immunostaining on inflammatory cells in atheromas was also observed. Primary vascular smooth muscle cells in culture were also found to express ADAM33. Boyden chamber assays showed that a neutralising antibody against ADAM33 increased the ability of arterial smooth muscle cells to migrate through a reconstituted basement membrane, suggesting that ADAM33 has an inhibitory effect on vascular smooth muscle migration. Moreover, we detected an association between ADAM33 genotype and the extent of atherosclerosis in a large cohort of coronary artery disease patients. These findings suggest that ADAM33 is implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.