In Vitro Differentiation of Naïve CD4⁺ T Cells: A Tool for Understanding the Development of Atherosclerosis

A complete knowledge of atherosclerosis requires a better understanding of how innate and adaptive immunity operate systemically and locally within the arterial wall. T-helper 1 (Th1) lymphocyte responses have proatherogenic effects in mice, contrasting with the responses of T regulatory cells (Tregs), which can suppress growth of atherosclerotic lesions. An imbalance in the differentiation of T-helper cells may therefore impact the development, size, and stability of atherosclerosis plaques. This chapter describes a method to isolate naïve CD4(+) T cells from atherosclerosis-prone mouse peripheral blood lymphocytes and to differentiate these CD4(+) T cells in vitro to various T helper cell lineages. These techniques allow the analysis of T lymphocytes in vitro, a necessary step in the study of molecular mechanisms involved in the inflammatory responses that trigger atherosclerosis.