Expression of activation molecules in neutrophils, monocytes and lymphocytes from patients with unstable angina treated with stent implantation.

Coronary angioplasty is known to mediate an inflammatory response. Recently, we have characterized the transient systemic inflammatory response after coronary stent implantation in patients with unstable angina by measuring different soluble protein markers. In the present study we have characterized the expression of various cellular activation markers in neutrophils, monocytes and lymphocytes from the same group of patients. Peripheral blood samples were taken before and 24 h, 48 h and 7 days after successful coronary stenting in 58 patients. Cell surface markers (CD11b/CD18 and CD38) were analyzed by flow cytometry to determine the activation of neutrophils, monocytes and T lymphocytes. We found that coronary angioplasty with stent implantation produces an increase in the cell surface expression of CD11b/CD18 in neutrophils and CD38 in monocytes, following a similar time-course with a peak after 24 h, returning to basal levels after 48 h and a second peak after 7 days. However, T lymphocytes were not found to be activated. These results suggest that coronary stent implantation induces a different pattern inducing soluble and cellular inflammation markers, and therefore, they should be taken into account in patients undergoing stent implantation to study clinical correlations.