Anti-endothelial cell antibodies are increased in patients with previous myocardial infarction.
OBJECTIVE
Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease of multifactorial origin, in which immune cells together with metabolic risk factors may initiate, propagate, and activate lesions in the arterial tree. We investigated the role of auto-antibodies against endothelial cells in patients with previous myocardial infarction.


METHODS
One hundred and four patients were studied four to five years after acute myocardial infarction (aged 36-84 years) and 83 sex-matched healthy controls (aged 32-70 years). Anti-endothelial cells IgM and IgG auto-antibodies (AECA) were quantified in plasma using flow cytometry.


RESULTS
IgM and IgG AECA were significantly higher (23.08 ± 0.81 and 10.63 ± 0.31 channel shifts, respectively; p < 0.001) in patients as compared to controls (13.40 ± 0.95 and 3.53 ± 0.54 channel shifts, respectively). Further, patients who got an invasive treatment had significantly higher levels of AECA as compared to patients with only medical treatment. Plasma concentration of IgG was positively (p < 0.05) correlated to the levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP).


CONCLUSIONS
We report for the first time evidence that AECA are related to signs of inflammation and are increased in patients with atherosclerosis and previous myocardial infarction and with further increase with severity of disease.
Elsheikh
Elzafir
E
Division of Transplantation Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden. elzafir.elsheikh@ki.se
Sylvén
Christer
C
Henareh
Loghman
L
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; C087589:anti-endothelial cell antibody; D002097:C-Reactive Protein