Effect of immune response mediated by antigen-specific T cells on plaque stability in coronary heart disease / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of immune response mediated by antigen (oxidized low density lipoprotein, oxLDL)-specific T cells on plaque stability in coronary heart disease.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), 34 with unstable angina pectoris (UAP), 27 with stable angina pectoris (SAP) and 22 control subjects were enrolled in this study. MTS/PMS colorimetric assay was used to measure the proliferative response of the T cells to stimulation to 5 microg/ml oxLDL and detect IFN-gamma concentration produced in the proliferative response. The effect of C-reactive protein (CRP) on the proliferative response of the T cells to oxLDL and IFN-gamma concentration produced was examined in AMI group and UAP group.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The proliferative response of T cells to stimulation to 5 microg/ml oxLDL was significantly higher in AMI group and UAP group than in SAP group and the control group (P<0.05). IFN-gamma concentration produced in the proliferative response of the T cells was also significantly higher in AMI group and UAP group than in the other two groups (P<0.05). CRP at 10 microg/ml significantly increased the proliferative response of the T cells to oxLDL and IFN-gamma production in ACS group (P<0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The immune response mediated by the antigen-specific T cells, especially that mediated by type 1 T helper cells secreting IFN-gamma, may play an important role in the instability of plaques, and CRP may promote the inflammation of atherosclerosis through the effects on the specific immune response to oxLDL.</p>