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Published on: October 17, 2017
Frequency of monocyte subsets is linked to the severity of atherosclerosis in patients with ischemic heart disease: A
Irina Kologrivova1, Tatiana Suslova1, Olga Koshelskaya1
1Cardiology Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia.
Insights
In stable coronary heart disease patients, classical monocyte levels correlate with atherosclerosis severity, while non-classical monocytes show an inverse relationship. Further research is needed to understand their role in myocardial ischemia.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Immunology
- Atherosclerosis
Background:
- Monocytes are key players in atherosclerosis.
- Monocytes are classified into classical (CD14++CD16lo), intermediate (CD14++CD16hi), and non-classical (CD14+CD16hi) subsets.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between monocyte subsets and metabolic/inflammatory factors in stable coronary heart disease (CHD).
- To assess monocyte subset frequencies in relation to coronary artery stenosis severity.
Main Methods:
- Flow cytometry was used to quantify monocyte subsets (CD14++CD16lo, CD14++CD16hi, CD14+CD16hi) in 26 stable ischemic heart disease (IHD) patients.
- Gensini score (GS) assessed CHD severity; CD163 expression was analyzed.
- Multiplex analysis detected cardiac markers, cytokines, and chemokines.
Main Results:
- Higher CD14+CD16hi monocyte frequency was observed in patients with less severe stenosis (<70%).
- Elevated CD163+CD14++CD16hi and CD163+CD14+CD16hi monocyte frequencies were found in patients with >70% stenosis.
- Classical monocyte frequency positively correlated with GS (R=0.757, p=0.018), while non-classical monocytes negatively correlated (R=-0.757, p=0.018).
Conclusions:
- Classical monocyte frequency is directly associated with atherosclerosis severity in IHD patients.
- Non-classical monocyte frequency is inversely associated with atherosclerosis severity.
- The precise role of these monocyte subsets in myocardial ischemia development requires further investigation.
Background:
Monocytes are recognized as central cells in the progression of atherosclerosis, and are subcategorized into classical (CD14++CD16lo), intermediate (CD14++CD16hi) and non-classical (CD14+CD16hi) subsets.
Purpose:
The present study aimed to assess the relationships between different subsets of monocytes, metabolic and inflammatory factors in patients with stable coronary heart disease.
Methods:
A total of 26 patients (both men and women) with stable ischemic heart disease (IHD) were recruited. Among all the recruited patients, 17 patients had significant coronary artery disease defined as diameter stenosis more than 70%. Severity of CHD was assessed by the Gensini score (GS). Counts of CD14++CD16lo, CD14++CD16hi, and CD14+CD16hi monocytes were evaluated by flow cytometry. Gating was verified and expression of CD163 was determined by imaging flow cytometry. Key cardiac markers, cytokines, and chemokines were detected in serum and in 24-hour-culture medium for peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) by multiplex analysis. The Mann-Whitney U-test and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (r) were used for statistical analysis.
Results:
Patients with stenosis <70% tended to have higher frequency of CD14+CD16hi monocytes compared to patients with coronary artery stenosis >70%. The frequencies of CD163+CD14++CD16hi and CD163+CD14+CD16hi monocytes were elevated in patients with stenosis >70%. In patients with stenosis <70%, the frequency of classical monocytes positively correlated and the frequency of non-classical monocytes negatively correlated with the value of GS (R =0.757; p =0.018 and R = -0.757; p = 0.018, respectively).
Conclusions:
In patients with ischemic heart disease, the frequency of classical monocytes was directly correlated with the severity of atherosclerosis, while the frequency of non-classical monocytes was correlated inversely. The effects of these monocyte subsets in the development of myocardial ischemia still need to be elucidated.
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