title: PTX3: a modulator of human coronary plaque vulnerability acting by macrophages type 2.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute myocardial infarction (AMI), is related to a diffuse active inflammation of the coronary tree associated with rupture of one of the multiple vulnerable plaques. The presence of soluble mediators of inflammation with their synergic or antagonistic actions coordinates the physiological response determining the plaque fate and the fatal event. The present study focus on the cytokines network operating in human coronary plaques of patients died from AMI and controls, pointing out that coronaries of AMI patients produce PTX3 protein twice as that of controls and express high level of PTX3 mRNA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The presence of CX3CR1 polymorphisms is significantly correlated with the incidence and the outcome of acute myocardial infarction inducing in the whole coronary tree a strong recruitment of Th1 polarized inflammation that is directly correlated to PTX3 expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Moreover we found a positive correlation between the expression of PTX3 in the plaque and the content of macrophage cells showing a M2 polarization indicating the possible role of this chemokine as mediator of immune response that would orchestrate plaque evolution and inflammatory cell type activation.
authors.affiliation: Dept. Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Italy. Electronic address: sabina.pucci@uniroma2.it.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pucci
authors.affiliation: Dept. Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fisco
authors.affiliation: Dept. Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Zonetti
authors.affiliation: Dept. Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bonanno
authors.affiliation: Dept. Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mazzarelli
authors.affiliation: Dept. Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mauriello
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000099153:Pentraxins
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component; D000099153:Pentraxins
keywords: Acute myocardial infarction; CXCR1 polymorphism; Macrophage type 2; Pentraxin; Th1 inflammatory infiltrate