PTX3: a modulator of human coronary plaque vulnerability acting by macrophages type 2

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI), is related to a diffuse active inflammation of the coronary tree associated with rupture of one of the multiple vulnerable plaques. The presence of soluble mediators of inflammation with their synergic or antagonistic actions coordinates the physiological response determining the plaque fate and the fatal event. The present study focus on the cytokines network operating in human coronary plaques of patients died from AMI and controls, pointing out that coronaries of AMI patients produce PTX3 protein twice as that of controls and express high level of PTX3 mRNA.

The presence of CX3CR1 polymorphisms is significantly correlated with the incidence and the outcome of acute myocardial infarction inducing in the whole coronary tree a strong recruitment of Th1 polarized inflammation that is directly correlated to PTX3 expression.

Moreover we found a positive correlation between the expression of PTX3 in the plaque and the content of macrophage cells showing a M2 polarization indicating the possible role of this chemokine as mediator of immune response that would orchestrate plaque evolution and inflammatory cell type activation.