Role of antigen-specific T cell-mediated immune response in coronary heart disease / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>UNLABELLED</b>To investigate the effect of immune response mediated by the T cells stimulated with the specific antigen (oxidized low-density lipoprotein, oxLDL) on plaque stability in coronary heart disease.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This study involved 20 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), 34 with unstable angina pectoris (UAP), 27 with stable angina pectoris (SAP) and 22 healthy control subjects. With MTS/PMS colorimetric assay, the T cells from all the subjects were tested for proliferative response to stimulation by 5 microg/ml oxLDL and 5 microg/ml low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) concentration in the proliferative response of the T cells was measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The proliferative response of the T cells elicited by 5 microg/ml oxLDL stimulation was significantly higher in the AMI and UAP groups than in the SAP and control groups (P<0.05). Similarly, IFN-gamma concentration in the proliferative response of the T cells to 5 microg/ml oxLDL stimulation was significantly higher in the former two groups (P<0.05). In the AMI and UAP groups, 5 microg<ml oxLDL stimulation resulted in significantly higher IFN-gamma concentration in the proliferative response of the T cells than 5 microg/ml LDL stimulation (P<0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The immune response mediated by the T cells to specific antigen stimulation, especially the immune response mediated by T helper type 1 (Th1) cells secreting IFN-gamma, may play an important role in the plaque instability and the occurrence of acute coronary syndrome.</p>