Decrease in circulating myeloid dendritic cell precursors in patients with intracranial large artery atherosclerosis

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Science
• Immunology
• Neurology

Background:

• Intracranial large artery atherosclerosis (ILAA) is a significant contributor to ischemic cerebrovascular disease.
• Understanding biomarkers that reflect ILAA severity is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between circulating dendritic cell precursors (DCP) and the severity of intracranial large artery atherosclerosis (ILAA).
• To determine if mDC precursors or pDC precursors levels can predict ILAA severity.

Main Methods:

• Angiography was used to assess the severity and extent of intracranial and coronary artery stenosis.
• Flow cytometry was employed to quantify circulating myeloid dendritic cell precursors (mDC precursors) and plasmacytoid dendritic cell precursors (pDC precursors).
• Patients were categorized into severe ILAA (n=101) and mild ILAA (n=123) groups based on angiography results.

Main Results:

• Circulating mDC precursor levels were significantly lower in patients with severe ILAA compared to those with mild ILAA (P < 0.05).
• No significant difference was observed in circulating pDC precursor levels between the severe and mild ILAA groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Circulating mDC precursors show potential as a predictive biomarker for the severity of intracranial large artery atherosclerosis (ILAA).
• mDC precursor levels may reflect the extent of ILAA, offering insights into disease progression.