title: Gene expression of inflammasome components in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of vascular patients increases with age.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic low-grade inflammation is considered a driver of many age-related disorders, including vascular diseases (inflammaging). Inhibition of autophagic capacity with ageing was postulated to generate a pro-inflammatory condition via activation of inflammasomes, a group of Interleukin-1 activating intracellular multi-protein complexes. We thus investigated gene expression of inflammasome components in PBMC of 77 vascular patients (age 22-82) in association with age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Linear regression of real-time qRT-PCR data revealed a significant positive association of gene expression of each of the inflammasome components with age (Pearson correlation coefficients: AIM2: r = 0.245; P = 0.032; NLRP3: r = 0.367; P = 0.001; ASC (PYCARD): r = 0.252; P = 0.027; CASP1: r = 0.296; P = 0.009; CASP5: r = 0.453; P = 0.00003; IL1B: r = 0.247; P = 0.030). No difference in gene expression of AIM2, NLRP3, ASC CASP1, and CASP5 was detected between PBMC of patients with advanced atherosclerosis and other vascular patients, whereas IL1B expression was increased in PBMC of the latter group (P = 0.0005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings reinforce the systemic pro-inflammatory phenotype reported in elderly by demonstrating an increased phase-1 activation of inflammasomes in PBMC of vascular patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 110, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany ; Department of Vascular & Thyroid Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 110, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany ; Vaskuläre Biomaterialbank Heidelberg, VBBH, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Maani
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hakimi
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 110, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wortmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular & Thyroid Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 110, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Dittmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Böckler
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 110, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dihlmann
keywords: AIM2; Aging; Atherosclerosis; Inflammation; NLRP3; Vascular disease