title: T lymphocytes alterations are associated with oxidized LDL, troponin T, white blood cells and C-reactive protein during acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Auto-immune responses are associated with oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) release, a key factor in plaque destabilization. Data on the relationship between ox-LDL and T lymphocytes in human populations remains scarce. T cells also react with other molecules from the lesion and/or damage the myocardium.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the present study was to examine the relationship between circulating T lymphocytes, ox-LDL, markers of myocardial necrosis (cTnT), myocardial dysfunction (N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide - NT-proBNP) and inflammation (C-reactive protein - CRP) in the setting of acute myocardial infarction.
  
  
  METHODS
  A longitudinal study of 55 patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) were evaluated at three time points: admission, 2 and 40 days following admission, together with 30 patients with stable angina (SA) and 56 subjects without coronary artery disease serving as controls (CTR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  STEMI patients had maximal ox-LDL values and minimal levels of CD3+ T lymphocytes at admission, which was normalized during the recovery period. The increasing trend of CD3+ T cells was positively associated with an ox-LDL decline over time. CRP and cTnT longitudinal variations were negatively associated with the CD3+ T-cell increasing trend. These associations were not found in SA patients or controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The associations found between CD3+ T lymphocytes, ox-LDL and cTnT suggest a specificity of the immune response in AMI towards arterial and myocardial inflammation and remodelling.
authors.affiliation: Unidade de Biologia Microvascular e Inflamação, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal Grupo de Estudos Biomédicos, Unidade de Física e Aceleradores, Instituto Tecnológico e Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Napoleão
authors.affiliation: Serviço Cardiologia, Hospital Santa Marta, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Central, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Mafalda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Selas
authors.affiliation: Serviço Cardiologia, Hospital Santa Marta, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Central, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Cláudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Freixo
authors.affiliation: Serviço Cardiologia, Hospital Santa Marta, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Central, Lisboa, Portugal Centro de Estudos de Doenças Crónicas, Faculdade Ciências Médias, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Miguel Mota
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Carmo
authors.affiliation: Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro & Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Viegas-Crespo
authors.affiliation: Serviço Cardiologia, Hospital Santa Marta, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Central, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rui Cruz
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Estudos Biomédicos, Unidade de Física e Aceleradores, Instituto Tecnológico e Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal Centro de Física Nuclear, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
keywords: C-reactive protein; T lymphocytes; acute coronary syndromes; cardiac troponin T; longitudinal study; oxidized LDL