Carotid artery intima-media thickness and reactive oxygen species formation by monocytes in hypertensive patients

Area of Science:

• Vascular Biology and Atherosclerosis
• Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors
• Oxidative Stress and Inflammation

Background:

• Carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) is a key indicator of atherosclerosis and a predictor of cardiovascular events.
• Oxidative stress and inflammation are recognized as critical contributors to vascular event pathogenesis.
• Essential hypertension is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between carotid artery IMT and markers of oxidative stress in leukocytes.
• To determine if reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation by polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) or mononuclear cells (MNCs) correlates with IMT in hypertensive patients.
• To explore the potential of MNC ROS as a predictive marker for carotid atherosclerosis.

Main Methods:

• Study included 156 patients with essential hypertension, divided into plaque (max-IMT ≥ 1.1 mm) and non-plaque groups.
• Reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation by PMNs and MNCs was quantified using gated flow cytometry.
• Measurements included C-reactive protein (CRP), hemoglobin A1c, and traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

Main Results:

• Significantly higher ROS formation by MNCs was observed in the plaque group compared to the non-plaque group (P<0.0001).
• Multiple regression analysis revealed significant correlations between IMT and MNC ROS formation (r=0.407, P<0.0001).
• IMT also correlated with CRP, hemoglobin A1c, and age, but not with ROS formation by PMNs.

Conclusions:

• Increased ROS formation by MNCs is associated with elevated carotid artery IMT in hypertensive individuals.
• These findings suggest that MNC ROS generation may play a role in the development of atherosclerosis.
• ROS formation by MNCs is proposed as a potential predictive marker for carotid atherosclerosis.