title: Chemokine CX3CL1 and its receptor CX3CR1 are associated with human atherosclerotic lesion volnerability.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  CX3CL1 and its receptor CX3CR1 have been emphasized in atherosclerosis recently. In this study we investigated the role of the chemokines CX3CL1 and their receptor CX3CR1 in atherogenesis and identified whether the genetic variations in CX3CL1 and CX3CR1 impacted the atherosclerosis process in coronary artery disease (CAD) or not.
  
  
  METHODS
  CX3CL1/CX3CR1 expression in coronary and carotid artery specimens were analysed by immunohistochemistry. CX3CR1 expression on CD4(+) CD28(-) T cells was analysed by flow cytometry. We also screened for CX3CL1/CX3CR1 sequence variations selected from the hapmap database and examined the association between CX3CL1/CX3CR1 and CAD in the Chinese Han population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immunohistochemical staining of tissue from CAD patients showed increased CX3CL1/CX3CR1 expression in atherosclerotic coronary and carotid artery plaques compared with normal arteries. CX3CL1/CX3CR1 expression was correlated with the severity of the atherosclerosis lesion. Patients with CAD also showed an increased number of CX3CR1(+) CD4(+) CD28(-) T cells. Compared with their corresponding wild-type genotypes, CX3CL1 rs170364 and CX3CR1 rs17793056 were associated with increased susceptibility to CAD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CX3CL1 and CX3CR1 may contribute to the formation of coronary atherosclerotic plaque in CAD.CX3CL1 rs170364 and CX3CR1 rs17793056 polymorphisms may be independent genetic risk factors for CAD.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Cardiology, ShenYang Military General Hospital, 83 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110840, China.
authors.forename: Xiaolin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Cardiology, ShenYang Military General Hospital, 83 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110840, China.
authors.forename: Xueyao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Cardiology, ShenYang Military General Hospital, 83 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110840, China.
authors.forename: Wenzhi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Cardiology, ShenYang Military General Hospital, 83 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110840, China.
authors.forename: Tengfei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Cardiology, ShenYang Military General Hospital, 83 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110840, China.
authors.forename: Zhenyang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Cardiology, ShenYang Military General Hospital, 83 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110840, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Cardiology, ShenYang Military General Hospital, 83 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110840, China.
authors.forename: Chenghui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Cardiology, ShenYang Military General Hospital, 83 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110840, China.
authors.forename: Yaling
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D018106:CD28 Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D000073883:CX3C Chemokine Receptor 1; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D054428:Chemokine CX3CL1 / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008957:Models, Genetic; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000378:metabolism; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D018106:CD28 Antigens; D000073883:CX3C Chemokine Receptor 1; C515538:CX3CL1 protein, human; C095235:CX3CR1 protein, human; D054428:Chemokine CX3CL1; D005819:Genetic Markers; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine
keywords: CX3CL1; CX3CR1; coronary artery disease; single nucleotide polymorphism