BACKGROUND: Anti-heat-shock protein 60 (HSP60) antibody-levels have been linked to carotid atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk in a variety of studies. The potential role of cellular immune reactions against HSP60 has so far attracted little attention in epidemiological research. METHODS AND RESULTS: In vitro T-cell reactivity to various HSP60s and tuberculin was assessed in blood samples from a elderly subpopulation of the Bruneck study (100 men, 50-69 years) and the young participants of the ARMY study (141 men, 17-18 years), and analyzed for a potential association with common carotoid artery intima-media thickness (IMT). In vivo skin reaction against tuberculin was recorded in subjects of the Bruneck study and correlated with the in vitro proliferative response to tuberculin (P=0.004). T-cells isolated from peripheral blood of all individuals proliferated upon stimulation with HSP60s. In multivariate linear regression analysis adjusted for standard risk factors, T-cell stimulation was significantly related to IMT in the ARMY (P=0.005 for human HSP60 and P=0.064 for mycobacterial HSP60) but not in the Bruneck study. CONCLUSIONS: T-cell reactivity against HSP60s correlated with IMT in male youngsters but not in men aged 50 and over, indicating a more prominent role of specific cellular immunity to HSP60s in the young and very early stages of atherosclerosis.
BACKGROUND:Anti-heat-shock protein 60 (HSP60) antibody-levels have been linked to carotid atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk in a variety of studies. The potential role of cellular immune reactions against HSP60 has so far attracted little attention in epidemiological research. METHODS AND RESULTS: In vitro T-cell reactivity to various HSP60s and tuberculin was assessed in blood samples from a elderly subpopulation of the Bruneck study (100 men, 50-69 years) and the young participants of the ARMY study (141 men, 17-18 years), and analyzed for a potential association with common carotoid artery intima-media thickness (IMT). In vivo skin reaction against tuberculin was recorded in subjects of the Bruneck study and correlated with the in vitro proliferative response to tuberculin (P=0.004). T-cells isolated from peripheral blood of all individuals proliferated upon stimulation with HSP60s. In multivariate linear regression analysis adjusted for standard risk factors, T-cell stimulation was significantly related to IMT in the ARMY (P=0.005 for humanHSP60 and P=0.064 for mycobacterial HSP60) but not in the Bruneck study. CONCLUSIONS: T-cell reactivity against HSP60s correlated with IMT in male youngsters but not in men aged 50 and over, indicating a more prominent role of specific cellular immunity to HSP60s in the young and very early stages of atherosclerosis.
Authors: Marius C Wick; Christina Mayerl; Aleksandar Backovic; Ruurd van der Zee; Werner Jaschke; Hermann Dietrich; Georg Wick Journal: Cell Stress Chaperones Date: 2008-05-09 Impact factor: 3.667
Authors: Simone Kreutmayer; Adam Csordas; Jan Kern; Viola Maass; Giovanni Almanzar; Martin Offterdinger; Robert Öllinger; Matthias Maass; Georg Wick Journal: Cell Stress Chaperones Date: 2012-11-29 Impact factor: 3.667
Authors: Cecilia Grundtman; Simone B Kreutmayer; Giovanni Almanzar; Marius C Wick; Georg Wick Journal: Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol Date: 2011-05 Impact factor: 8.311
Authors: Giovanni Almanzar; Robert Öllinger; Julianna Leuenberger; Elisabeth Onestingel; Barbara Rantner; Sarah Zehm; Benno Cardini; Ruurd van der Zee; Cecilia Grundtman; Georg Wick Journal: J Autoimmun Date: 2012-08-15 Impact factor: 7.094