Cytokine expression in circulating T lymphocytes from patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated a possible relationship of cytokine expression and phenotype features of circulating T lymphocytes with the histological type of atherosclerotic plaque removed during carotid endarterectomy.


METHODS
Peripheral blood samples were taken from 20 patients with carotid atherosclerosis and from 8 healthy blood donors. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the histological type of their atherosclerotic plaques (types V and VI). Expression of intracellular tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interferon (IFN)-gamma, interleukin-4 (IL-4), and of surface antigens (CD4, CD8, CD45RA, CD45RO, T cell receptor (TCR) alpha/beta, TCR gamma/delta) in circulating T lymphocytes was determined by 3-colour cytofluorimetric analysis.


RESULTS
The percentage of T lymphocytes primed for TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma and IL-4 was higher in blood samples from patients than from healthy subjects; the difference was statistically significant for TNF-alpha-producing cells (p=0.01). In patients, the percentage of TNF-alpha-producing cells was significantly higher in the CD4+ subset than in the CD8+ subset (p=10(-4)). The percentage of TNF-alpha-, IFN-gamma- and IL-4-primed cells was higher in patients with type VI plaques (complicated lesions) than in patients with type V plaques (less complicated lesions). The difference was statistically significant for TNF-alpha-primed cells (p=0.05). No statistically significant differences were found in T cell phenotype features among patients or between patients and healthy subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest a relationship between the percentage of circulating T lymphocytes expressing TNF-alpha and possibly IFN-gamma and IL-4 and the histological type of atherosclerotic plaque in patients with carotid artery disease.
Profumo
E
E
Department of Immunology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Siracusano
A
A
Ortona
E
E
Margutti
P
P
Carra
A
A
Costanzo
A
A
Capoano
R
R
Salvati
B
B
Riganò
R
R
D000368:Aged; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D016207:Cytokines; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma