Background: Increasing evidence suggests that abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a T-cell-mediated autoimmune condition. This study investigates the epigenetic modifications that occur in the T cells of AAA patients and evaluates the correlation of these modifications with disease development. Methods and Results: Peripheral T cells were collected from 101 AAA patients and 102 healthy controls (HCs). DNA methylation and histone acetylation levels were measured by ELISA. Methyl-CpG-binding domain, DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) mRNA levels were determined by real-time PCR. DNA from the T cells of the AAA patients exhibited significant hypomethylation compared with the HCs (1.6-fold, p < 0.0001). Expression of DNMT1 at the mRNA level in the T cells of the AAA patients was 1.52-fold lower than that of the HCs (p < 0.0001). The extent of DNA methylation in the AAA patients was negatively correlated with the corresponding aortic diameter (r = -0.498, p < 0.0001). H3 (1.59-fold, p < 0.0001) and H3K14 (2.15-fold, p < 0.0001) acetylation levels in the T cells of the AAA patients were higher than those of the HCs, but the HDAC1 mRNA level was 2.33-fold lower than that of the HCs (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: DNA methylation and the histone modification status are significantly altered in the T cells of AAA patients. These changes could play a pivotal role in the activation of pathological immune responses and may influence AAA development.
AbstractThe present study aimed to investigate the relationship between an increase in the pre- and post-operative neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and superficial femoral artery in-stent restenosis (ISR) rate. We recruited 199 patients that underwent superficial femoral artery stenting for lower extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans at our hospital from March 2015 to July 2018. Patients were divided into two groups according to the occurrence of ISR within 1 year (group 1, ISR and group 2, Non-ISR). The after NLR (NLRafter) and NLR change ratio (NLRratio) (P<0.001) were significantly higher in group 1. A NLRafter > 4.3 was associated with an odds ratio of 1.946 (95% CI [1.51–2.50]; P<0.001) for the presence of ISR. A NLRratio > 37.5% was associated with an odds ratio of 3.6 (95% CI [2.03–6.36]; P<0.001) for occurrence of ISR. A NLRafter level > 4.3 had 75% sensitivity and 76% specificity for the prediction of ISR, as identified by the ROC curve. A NLRratio level > 37.5% predicted ISR with 77% sensitivity and 60% specificity. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that NLRratio was the strongest independent predictor of ISR (P<0.001). In conclusions, NLRratio could be used as a prognostic marker in superficial femoral artery stents.
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