Characterization of circulating and monocyte-derived dendritic cells in obese and diabetic patients

Dendritic cells (DCs) are suspected to be involved in the development of atherogenesis, but their role is still unclear. The aim of this study was to characterize circulating DCs and monocyte-derived DCs (Mo-DCs) of obese and diabetic patients (T2D), and to study their interaction with human coronary smooth muscle cells (CASMCs). Obese post-menopausal women with or without insulin resistance were enrolled and were compared to age-matched healthy women. Myeloid circulating DCs significantly increased in obese T2D patients compared to healthy donors and a smaller increase was observed for plasmacytoid one. Mature Mo-DCs from obese T2D patients significantly decreased when compared to control, but they were significantly more capable of adhering to CASMCs compared to that from healthy controls and from not-T2D obese subjects. Altogether these data suggest that in conditions of insulin-resistance and obesity there is an up-regulation of myeloid DCs that might contribute to pathological vascular remodeling.