Detection of B cells and proinflammatory cytokines in atherosclerotic plaques of hypercholesterolaemic apolipoprotein E knockout mice.
Atherosclerosis, the main lethal disease in the Western world, is associated with a cellular immune response in the arterial lesions and a humoral immune response directed towards oxidized lipoproteins, certain microbes and other antigens. The local immune response is dominated by macrophages and T cells, while to date, the role of B cells in lesions has been unclear. We analysed B-cell involvement in lesions using the apolipoprotein E knockout mouse, an experimental model that develops accelerated atherosclerosis when fed a lipid-rich diet. Both early fatty-streak-type lesions and full-blown atherosclerotic plaques of these mice contained CD22+ B cells. They accumulated predominantly in the base of lesions, where high expression levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) were observed in other cells. Cells expressing interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha were also detected and IgM was abundant in this region. These data show that B cells participate in atherosclerosis in this experimental model; the data also suggest that these cells may accumulate through VCAM-1 expression by surrounding cells and may produce antibodies and proinflammatory cytokines. These factors are likely to be important in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.
Zhou
X
X
Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Hansson
G K
GK
D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000032:analysis; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000276:immunology*; D037102:Lectins; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D051381:Rats; D051918:Sialic Acid Binding Ig-like Lectin 2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology*; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000032:analysis
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte; D001057:Apolipoproteins E; C497868:Cd22 protein, mouse; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D015850:Interleukin-6; D037102:Lectins; D051918:Sialic Acid Binding Ig-like Lectin 2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1