title: Antigen-driven evolution of B lymphocytes in coronary atherosclerotic plaques.
abstract: Recent data indicated that adaptive immunity is involved in the process of atherogenesis. Oligoclonal recruitment of T lymphocytes has been described in coronary plaques of patients with acute coronary syndrome. However, the nature of immune response remains to be determined. In the present study, we examined the Ab response in six coronary plaques obtained by endoluminal directional atherectomy. The IgG1/kappa-coding gene repertoires of B lymphocytes present in circulating blood and in coronary plaques were cloned and analyzed. In all of the six plaques, we observed 1) a skewed usage of heavy and light IgG1/kappa Ab-coding genes, 2) an oligoclonal distribution of V(K), J(K), and V(H), D(H), and J(H) genes with overrepresentation of some rarely used IgG genes, and 3) the unequivocal signs of Ag-driven clonal expansion and evolution of B cells. The data document for the first time the presence of a local Ag-driven clonal evolution of B cells in human atherosclerotic plaques.
authors.affiliation: Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Burioni
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Canducci
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Saita
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perotti
authors.forename: Nicasio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: Donata
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Marco
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Clementi
authors.forename: Alaide
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chieffo
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Denaro
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cianflone
authors.forename: Angelo A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Manfredi
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: Attilio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maseri
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clementi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000502:physiology*; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002999:Clone Cells; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001324:Autoantigens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains