I Chung1, A Choudhury, J Patel, G Y H Lip. 1. Haemostasis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology Unit, University Department of Medicine, City Hospital, Birmingham, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Many complications associated with congestive heart failure (CHF) have a thrombosis-related aetiology, which may involve platelets. The immune modulator pair CD40-CD40L has been proposed to be an important link between inflammation and thrombosis and may be important in the pathophysiology of CHF. OBJECTIVE: To study soluble CD40L (sCD40L), platelet surface CD40L (%GCD40L) and total platelet CD40L (pCD40L) levels in CHF patients, their relationships to other platelet indices (platelet volume, mass and component) and to assess their prognostic value. METHODS: We measured sCD40L (by ELISA); pCD40L (by a platelet lysate assay); platelet surface CD40L (%GCD40L) expression by flow cytometry; mean platelet volume (MPV), mean platelet mass (MPM) and mean platelet component (MPC); in 108 patients with stable CHF. Levels were compared with 37 'healthy controls' and 63 'disease controls'. After a median follow-up period of 490 days, clinical endpoints were determined. RESULTS: pCD40L was significantly higher in CHF than disease controls, but not sCD40L or %GCD40L levels. CHF patients and disease controls had higher MPV (one-way anova, P < 0.0001), whilst MPC was significantly lower in CHF patients (P < 0.0001), compared to healthy controls. All indices related to CD40L (i.e. sCD40L, pCD40L and %GCD40L) were neither related to disease severity or left ventricular ejection function, nor to clinical endpoints at follow-ups. CONCLUSION: Patients with stable CHF patients did not exhibit enhanced levels of CD40L and the latter did not predict clinical events at follow-up. The lack of difference in CD40L levels between CHF and disease controls suggests that CD40L may not have a major role in CHF per se, but in the comorbidities associated with CHF.
BACKGROUND: Many complications associated with congestive heart failure (CHF) have a thrombosis-related aetiology, which may involve platelets. The immune modulator pair CD40-CD40L has been proposed to be an important link between inflammation and thrombosis and may be important in the pathophysiology of CHF. OBJECTIVE: To study soluble CD40L (sCD40L), platelet surface CD40L (%GCD40L) and total platelet CD40L (pCD40L) levels in CHFpatients, their relationships to other platelet indices (platelet volume, mass and component) and to assess their prognostic value. METHODS: We measured sCD40L (by ELISA); pCD40L (by a platelet lysate assay); platelet surface CD40L (%GCD40L) expression by flow cytometry; mean platelet volume (MPV), mean platelet mass (MPM) and mean platelet component (MPC); in 108 patients with stable CHF. Levels were compared with 37 'healthy controls' and 63 'disease controls'. After a median follow-up period of 490 days, clinical endpoints were determined. RESULTS: pCD40L was significantly higher in CHF than disease controls, but not sCD40L or %GCD40L levels. CHFpatients and disease controls had higher MPV (one-way anova, P < 0.0001), whilst MPC was significantly lower in CHFpatients (P < 0.0001), compared to healthy controls. All indices related to CD40L (i.e. sCD40L, pCD40L and %GCD40L) were neither related to disease severity or left ventricular ejection function, nor to clinical endpoints at follow-ups. CONCLUSION:Patients with stable CHFpatients did not exhibit enhanced levels of CD40L and the latter did not predict clinical events at follow-up. The lack of difference in CD40L levels between CHF and disease controls suggests that CD40L may not have a major role in CHF per se, but in the comorbidities associated with CHF.
Authors: J Szewieczek; J Dulawa; J Gminski; A Kurek; K Legierska; T Francuz; I Włodarczyk-Sporek; M Janusz-Jenczen; B Hornik Journal: J Nutr Health Aging Date: 2011-08 Impact factor: 4.075