Expression of interferon-gamma and interleukin-4 production in CD4+ T cells in patients with chronic heart failure.
The prevalence of inflammation is high among patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Reduced ejection fraction was associated with frequency of CD4(+) T cells of leukocytes. Therefore, we investigated inflammatory cytokines of expression markers in CD4(+) T cells in patients with CHF. Blood samples were obtained from 103 patients with CHF, from 83 patients with stable angina (SA), and from 57 controls. Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)-positive CD4(+) T cells and interleukin-4 (IL-4)-positive CD4(+) T cells were analyzed using 3-color flow cytometry. The frequency (%) of IFN-gamma-positive CD4(+) T cells increased in patients with CHF compared with those with SA and controls (CHF: 28.3 +/- 13.8, SA: 23.50 +/- 10.38, controls: 19.00 +/- 7.45, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the frequency of IL-4-positive CD4(+) T cells among the three groups. The frequencies of CD4(+) T cells that stained for IFN-gamma decreased from 32.37% +/- 16.40% on admission to 26.91% +/- 12.53% after 2 weeks in 26 patients with CHF. B-type natriuretic peptide (pg/ml) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (mg/dl) levels decreased from 251.7 +/- 150.4 and 0.64 +/- 0.78 on admission to 208.2 +/- 166.4 and 0.36 +/- 0.34 after 2 weeks in the 26 patients with CHF. We have demonstrated expression of IFN-gamma production of CD4(+) T cells during CHF. Prevention of unwanted T cell activation could represent a new target in the treatment of CHF.
Fukunaga
Takashi
T
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan.
Soejima
Hirofumi
H
Irie
Atsushi
A
Sugamura
Koichi
K
Oe
Yoko
Y
Tanaka
Tomoko
T
Kojima
Sunao
S
Sakamoto
Tomohiro
T
Yoshimura
Michihiro
M
Nishimura
Yasuharu
Y
Ogawa
Hisao
H
D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D015415:Biomarkers; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma