title: Inverse correlation between soluble CD40 ligand and soluble CD40 is absent in patients with unstable angina.
abstract: The CD40/CD40 ligand (CD40L) system mediates inflammatory processes important in atherogenesis and plaque instability. The expression of CD40L on activated T cells was suppressed by soluble CD40 (sCD40) in vitro. However, the relationship between soluble CD40L (sCD40L) and sCD40 in unstable angina (UA) is still unknown. Thirty-seven consecutive patients with recent chest pain or discomfort were recruited. Patients with both Braunwald's class IB-IIIB and with coronary stenosis (or stenoses) of >75% were assigned to the UA group (n = 19, aged 67.2 +/- 8.2 years), and the rest to the control group (n = 18, aged 63.4 +/- 8.7 years). The serum levels of sCD40L and sCD40, and the plasma levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. A significantly inverse correlation between sCD40L and sCD40 was shown in the controls (r = -0.72, P = 0.0007), but was absent in the UA group (r = -0.16, P not significant), although there was no statistical significance between these groups in terms of serum levels of sCD40L or sCD40. The difference of the regression slopes of these regression lines was statistically significant (P < 0.01). Additionally, there was a significant correlation between sCD40 and plasma levels of MMP-9 in the patients with and without UA (r = 0.58, P = 0.0096), but no significant correlation between sCD40L and MMP-9 levels (r = 0.00, P not significant). The balance between CD40 and CD40L may be lost in patients with UA. Soluble CD40 expression may also be related to MMP-9 expression in atherosclerotic tissues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan. mtsuzuki@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Michitaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsuzuki
authors.forename: Itsuro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Morishima
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Yuzo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: Toshihisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asai
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Numaguchi
authors.forename: Takahito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sone
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.forename: Toyoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murohara
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000276:immunology*; D019013:CD40 Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D023201:CD40 Ligand / Q000097:blood*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000276:immunology; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D019013:CD40 Antigens; D023201:CD40 Ligand; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9