RNA-seq of stable and unstable section of human atherosclerotic plaques

Atherosclerosis is a serious and very common condition where plaque builds up inside arteries and that can lead to heart attack or stroke. The development and rupture of the plaque is a complex process, involving the interplay of many cell types and the extracellular environment. We performed RNAseq on stable and unstable regions dissected from fresh human carotid plaques obtained at carotid endarterectomy in symptomatic patients. The dissection of the plaques into stable and unstable regions was based on macroscopic appearance, with unstable regions characterised as the visible zone of plaque rupture. Overall design: Plaques were obtained from 4 patients and dissected in stable and unstable regions. RNAs were extracted from the two sections and sent for RNAseq (Genewiz).