Activated polymorphonuclear leukocytes and monocytes in the peripheral blood of patients with ischemic heart and brain conditions correspond to the presence of multiple risk factors for atherothrombosis.
OBJECTIVE
Risk factors like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and smoking contribute to the pathogenesis of atherothrombosis. We investigated whether the multiplicity of risk factors for atherothrombosis is associated with leukocyte activation.


METHODS
We examined the availability of CD11b/CD18 antigen on the surface of peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes and monocytes in patients with acute ischemic heart and brain conditions.


RESULTS
There was a highly significant (p<0.00001) increment in the availability of the CD11b/CD18 antigen on the surface of the polymorphonuclear leukocytes in patients with multiple (2 or more) vascular risk factors [mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) +/- SD, 210+/-102] as opposed to individuals with none or 1 risk factor for atherothrombosis (MFI 159+/-73). Similar results were observed on the monocytes: 309+/-151 and 235+/-97, respectively (p<0. 00001).


CONCLUSIONS
The multiplicity of risk factors for atherothrombosis is associated with the up-regulation of CD11b/CD18 antigen on the surface of peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes and monocytes, suggesting the presence of an increased inflammatory response and leukocyte activation in these individuals.
Berliner
S
S
Department of Internal Medicine D, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Rogowski
O
O
Rotstein
R
R
Fusman
R
R
Shapira
I
I
Bornstein
N M
NM
Prochorov
V
V
Roth
A
A
Keren
G
G
Eldor
A
A
Zeltser
D
D
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D018821:CD18 Antigens / Q000097:blood; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D016177:Macrophage-1 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D018375:Neutrophil Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology; D015995:Prevalence; D011336:Probability; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015854:Up-Regulation
D015415:Biomarkers; D018821:CD18 Antigens; D016177:Macrophage-1 Antigen