CD45RO+ memory T-cells produce IL-17 in patients with atherosclerosis

Cell Mol Biol (Noisy-le-grand). 2015 Dec 9;61(8):17-23.

Abstract

Several CD4+ T helper (Th) cell subsets are shown to play a role in atherosclerotic lesion formation and progression. We investigated the frequencies of IL-17 and IFN-γ producing CD4+ T-cell subsets in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 10 patients with atherosclerosis and 6 individuals with normal/insignificant coronary artery disease. Th1 and Th17 memory and effector T-cells were enumerated by flowcytometry and correlated with the clinical data and lipid profiles of the subjects. We found the ex-vivo (P=0.0001) and in-vitro production of IL-17 (P=0.001) but not IFN-γ by CD4+ memory T-cells of patients. CD45RO+ memory cells were the major producers of IL-17 and the CD4+CD45RO+PD-1- T-cells of the patients produced higher levels of IFN-γ than controls (P=0.02). Positive correlations between the frequency of CD4+CD45RO+IL-17+IFN-γ- T-cells and serum LDL-C (P=0.007), triglyceride (P=0.02), and systolic (P=0.001) and diastolic (P=0.009) blood pressures (BP) were found. The frequency of CD4+CD45RO+IL-17-IFN-γ- T-cells, which was higher in controls than patients, showed negative correlations with the serum LDL-C (P=0.01) and triglyceride (P=0.02) levels and systolic (P=0.003) and diastolic (P=0.01) BPs. The ex-vivo Th17 deviation of memory T-cells in atherosclerosis and high PD-1 expression are associated with the correlates of atherogenesis such as LDL, TG, and BP.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Atherosclerosis / blood
  • Atherosclerosis / genetics*
  • Atherosclerosis / immunology
  • Atherosclerosis / pathology
  • Blood Pressure
  • CD4 Antigens / genetics
  • CD4 Antigens / immunology
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cholesterol, LDL / blood*
  • Diastole
  • Female
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Memory / genetics*
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Interferon-gamma / genetics
  • Interferon-gamma / immunology
  • Interleukin-17 / genetics
  • Interleukin-17 / immunology*
  • Leukocyte Common Antigens / genetics
  • Leukocyte Common Antigens / immunology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / genetics
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / immunology
  • Signal Transduction
  • Systole
  • Th1 Cells / immunology
  • Th1 Cells / pathology
  • Th17 Cells / immunology*
  • Th17 Cells / pathology
  • Triglycerides / blood

Substances

  • CD4 Antigens
  • Cholesterol, LDL
  • Interleukin-17
  • PDCD1 protein, human
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor
  • Triglycerides
  • Interferon-gamma
  • Leukocyte Common Antigens