Flavia Del Porto1,2, Noemi Cifani1, Maria Proietta1,3, Sara Perrotta1, Raffaele Dito1,4, Cira di Gioia5, Raffaella Carletti5, Luigi Rizzo1,4, Gianluigi Orgera6, Michele Rossi6, Livia Ferri1,2, Luigi Tritapepe7, Maurizio Taurino1,4. 1. a Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Molecolare , Facoltà di Medicina e Psicologia, "Sapienza" Università di Roma , Italy. 2. b UOC Medicina 3 , Ospedale Sant'Andrea , Rome , Italy. 3. c UOS Aterosclerosi e Dislipidemia , Ospedale Sant'Andrea , Rome , Italy. 4. d UOC Chirurgia Vascolare , Ospedale Sant'Andrea , Rome , Italy. 5. e Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche Oncologiche ed Anatomopatologiche , Facoltà di Medicina ed Odontoiatria, "Sapienza" Università di Roma, Policlinico Umberto I , Rome , Italy. 6. f Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Chirurgiche e Medicina Traslazionale , Facoltà di Medicina e Psicologia, "Sapienza" Università di Roma, UOC Radiodiagnostica, Ospedale Sant'Andrea , Rome , Italy. 7. g Dipartimento di Scienze Anestesiologiche, Medicina Critica e Terapia del dolore , Facoltà di Medicina ed Odontoiatria, "Sapienza" Università di Roma, Policlinico Umberto I , Rome , Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis is a multifactorial disease characterized by an immune-inflammatory remodeling of the arterial wall. Treg and Th17 subpopulations are detectable inside atherosclerotic plaque; however, their behavior in symptomatic carotid artery stenosis (CAS) is not fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to evaluate Th17 and Treg subsets and their ratio in patients affected by symptomatic and asymptomatic CAS. METHODS: 14 patients with symptomatic CAS (CAS-S group), 41 patients with asymptomatic CAS (CAS-A group), 32 subjects with traditional cardiovascular risk factors (RF group), and 10 healthy subjects (HS group) were enrolled. Th17 and Treg frequency was determined by flow cytometry and by histology and immunohistochemistry. Interleukin (IL)-10, IL-17, and metalloproteinase (MMP)-12 levels were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: Th17 were significantly increased in CAS-A versus RF and versus HS. Tregs were significantly increased in CAS-S versus CAS-A. Tregs/Th17 ratio was significantly reduced in CAS-A versus RF and versus HS, whereas it was significantly increased in CAS-S versus CAS-A. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that Th17 are related to the late stages of CAS but not to plaque instability. Moreover, Treg expansion seems to represent a specific cellular pattern displayed by patients with symptomatic CAS and associated with brain injury. KEY MESSAGES Tregs expansion seems to represent a specific cellular pattern displayed by patients with symptomatic CAS and associated with CD4+ effector depletion and brain ischemic injury. Th17 lymphocytes are related to the late stages of CAS but not to plaque instability.
BACKGROUND:Atherosclerosis is a multifactorial disease characterized by an immune-inflammatory remodeling of the arterial wall. Treg and Th17 subpopulations are detectable inside atherosclerotic plaque; however, their behavior in symptomatic carotid artery stenosis (CAS) is not fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to evaluate Th17 and Treg subsets and their ratio in patients affected by symptomatic and asymptomatic CAS. METHODS: 14 patients with symptomatic CAS (CAS-S group), 41 patients with asymptomatic CAS (CAS-A group), 32 subjects with traditional cardiovascular risk factors (RF group), and 10 healthy subjects (HS group) were enrolled. Th17 and Treg frequency was determined by flow cytometry and by histology and immunohistochemistry. Interleukin (IL)-10, IL-17, and metalloproteinase (MMP)-12 levels were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: Th17 were significantly increased in CAS-A versus RF and versus HS. Tregs were significantly increased in CAS-S versus CAS-A. Tregs/Th17 ratio was significantly reduced in CAS-A versus RF and versus HS, whereas it was significantly increased in CAS-S versus CAS-A. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that Th17 are related to the late stages of CAS but not to plaque instability. Moreover, Treg expansion seems to represent a specific cellular pattern displayed by patients with symptomatic CAS and associated with brain injury. KEY MESSAGES Tregs expansion seems to represent a specific cellular pattern displayed by patients with symptomatic CAS and associated with CD4+ effector depletion and brain ischemic injury. Th17 lymphocytes are related to the late stages of CAS but not to plaque instability.
Entities:
Keywords:
Carotid atherosclerosis; MMP-12; T lymphocyte subpopulations; cytokines
Authors: F Del Porto; N Cifani; M Proietta; T Dezi; L Tritapepe; S Raffa; A Micaloni; M Taurino Journal: Clin Exp Med Date: 2019-07-13 Impact factor: 3.984
Authors: A Yu Filatova; A V Potekhina; E A Pylaeva; A K Osokina; N Yu Ruleva; O A Pogorelova; M I Tripoten; E A Noeva; T V Balakhonova; V P Masenko; T I Arefieva Journal: Heliyon Date: 2020-05-05