Monocyte integrin expression and monocyte-platelet complex formation in humans with coronary restenosis

1. In the present study, we sought to determine whether patients with restenosis after coronary stenting possess increased monocyte reactivity, as manifested by a higher level of adhesion molecule expression and an enhanced propensity to form monocyte-platelet aggregates after activation in vitro. 2. Anti-coagulated peripheral venous blood from 24 patients, 10 with and 14 without angiographically verified restenosis, was obtained. Leucocyte antigen expression and the number of leucocyte-platelet complexes were measured by flow cytometry after activation in whole blood. 3. Surface integrin Mac-1 (CD11b/CD18) and VLA-4 (CD49d/ CD29) expression on monocytes and the relative number of monocyte-platelet complexes after in vitro activation were significantly elevated in patients with restenosis compared with patients without restenosis (fluorescence intensities of 1425 +/- 76 vs 1195 +/- 71, 87 +/- 7 vs 65 +/- 6 and 47 +/- 4 vs 29 +/- 3% for for Mac-1, VLA-4 and monocyte-platelet complexes, respectively; P < 0.05 for each parameter). 4. The results suggest that restenosis is associated with increased monocyte VLA-4 and Mac-1 integrin expression and monocyte-platelet complex formation, which can be revealed after activation in vitro.