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Lymphocyte Subset Imbalance in Cardiometabolic Diseases: Are T Cells the Missing Link?
Francesca Picone1, Valentina Giudice1,2, Concetta Iside1
1Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, Italy.
Insights
The immune system, particularly lymphocyte subsets, plays a crucial role in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Understanding immune homeostasis is key to developing new therapies for heart and metabolic conditions.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cardiology
- Metabolic Diseases
Background:
- Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of global mortality.
- Established risk factors include smoking, obesity, and diabetes, leading to plaque formation and inflammation.
- Emerging evidence highlights a significant role for the immune system in CVD development and progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current understanding of lymphocyte subsets in cardiovascular diseases.
- To explore the immune system's role in inflammation and tissue repair in CVD.
- To identify novel therapeutic targets for re-establishing immune homeostasis in CVD.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of immunological and cardiovascular research.
- Analysis of studies on lymphocyte subsets in various CVDs.
- Synthesis of data on immune cell interactions in disease pathogenesis.
Main Results:
- Lymphocyte subsets critically regulate inflammation and tissue repair post-injury in CVD.
- Immune cells orchestrate the function of endothelial cells, cardiomyocytes, and fibroblasts in lesions.
- Specific lymphocyte roles are implicated in atherosclerosis, diabetes, hypertension, myocardial infarction, and stroke.
Conclusions:
- A deeper understanding of immune involvement in CVD is essential for advancing disease biology insights.
- Targeting immune homeostasis offers promising avenues for novel CVD therapeutics.
- Further research into lymphocyte subsets can uncover new treatment strategies for cardiovascular and cardiometabolic diseases.
Abstract:
Cardiometabolic and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death worldwide, with well-established risk factors such as smoking, obesity, and diabetes contributing to plaque formation and chronic inflammation. However, emerging evidence suggests that the immune system plays a more significant role in the development and progression of CVD than previously thought. Specifically, the finely tuned regulation of lymphocyte subsets governs post-injury inflammation and tissue damage resolution and orchestrates the functions and activation of endothelial cells, cardiomyocytes, and fibroblasts in CVD-associated lesions (e.g., atherosclerotic plaques). A deeper understanding of the immune system's involvement in CVD development and progression will provide new insights into disease biology and uncover novel therapeutic targets aimed at re-establishing immune homeostasis. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge on the distribution and involvement of lymphocyte subsets in CVD, including atherosclerosis, diabetes, hypertension, myocardial infarction, and stroke.
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