Vascular-associated lymphoid tissue (VALT) consisting of accumulations of
immunocompetent and antigen presenting cells has recently been recognised in the arterial
wall. In this study, we investigated the involvement of VALT in immune responses in
abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Tissue samples were collected during operations from
31 patients with atherosclerotic infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms ranging in diameters
from 5 to 8 cm. The specimens were immediately frozen and examined using single and …