Quantification and function of monocytes subpopulations in atherosclerosis

Abstract

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the retention of lipids and immune cells in the arterial intima. Among them, monocytes are the first cells to be recruited differentiating into macrophages and contributing to the formation of atherosclerotic lesions. Recent studies have shown that circulating monocytes are a heterogeneous population composed of three cell types: CD14++CD16-, CD14++CD16+ and CD14+CD16+ +, which have distinct functions and migration patterns. Different populations of monocytes may be associated with the presence of risk factors for development of coronary artery disease (CAD) or even predict cardiovascular events in patients with CAD. However, there is no consensus about the role of these subpopulations on the effector response to atherogenic stimuli. Given the important role of monocytes in all stages of atheroma development the purpose of this study is to evaluate the presence of different populations of monocytes in peripheral blood of patients with CAD (stable and unstable angina) and controls by flow cytometry and correlate with clinical parameters. Tie2 and SLAN, new described monocytes surface markers, will also be assessed. Moreover, we intend to evaluate the effect of proatherogenic antigens (oxidized LDL and HSP60 ) on CD14+ +CD16- monocytes by the expression of components of the inflammatory response (mRNA and protein) as well as their ability to adhere to activated endothelial cells. The results of this study may help to improve the understanding of the functions of different populations of monocytes present in atherosclerotic lesions and to identify potential therapeutic targets.