Gothenburg Atheroma Study Group (GASG)

Study population and examinations The study sample collected between 2003-2009 consist of symptomatic carotid atherosclerotic plaques obtained from carotid endarterectomies performed at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital (Göteborg, Sweden). Criteria qualifying for surgery were minor ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA) or amaurosis fugax and a high-grade carotid stenosis (≧70% determined with the European Carotid Surgery Trial method). In 2010 the Collection of data was restarted with emphasis on collecting complete time series of endareterctomies. A further expansion led to inclusion of serum and plasma samples taken from patients with newly diagnosed abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). The latter Collection is also reffered to as the G3A study (Gothenburg Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm study) and led by Dr Marcus Langensköld. Datasets from papers published in open access is made available on request. Purpose: A biobank of human atherosclerotic tissue harvested at carotid endarerectomy.