Association between CD8⁺ T‐cell subsets and cardiovascular disease

Abstract

Background The findings of experimental studies suggest that the immune system plays a key role in atherosclerosis, but the clinical importance of different immune cells in cardiovascular disease remains poorly characterized. In this study we investigated the association between CD8+ T cells and carotid disease as well as development of cardiovascular disease events. Methods The study cohort comprised 700 subjects from the cardiovascular arm of the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells, obtained at the 1991–1994 baseline investigation and stored at −140 °C, were thawed and the different CD8+ T‐cell populations analysed by flow cytometry. Baseline carotid intima–media thickness and stenosis were assessed by ultrasonography and clinical events were monitored through validated national registers. Results Subjects with a high fraction of CD8+ T cells were characterized by decreased cytokine release from activated leucocytes, metabolic signs of insulin resistance and increased incidence of coronary events; hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for the second and third tertiles of CD8+ T cells were 2.57 (1.16, 5.67) and 2.61 (1.19, 5,71), respectively, in a Cox proportional hazards regression model. Correlations were found between the fraction of CD8+CD25+ T cells and the degree of carotid stenosis (r = 0.11, P < 0.01), and between the CD8+CD56−IFN‐γ+ T‐cell fraction and the degree of stenosis (r = −0.18, P < 0.005). The association between CD8+CD56−IFN‐γ+ T cells and carotid stenosis remained significant after controlling for major cardiovascular disease risk factors. Conclusion This study provides prospective clinical evidence for a role of CD8+ T cells in cardiovascular disease and suggests the existence of CD8+ T‐cell subsets with different pathological functions.

Plasma S100A8/A9 Correlates With Blood Neutrophil Counts, Traditional Risk Factors, and Cardiovascular Disease in Middle-Aged Healthy Individuals

“…1 We and others have previously reported important correlations between distinct populations of monocytes/macrophages and lymphocytes in apparently healthy individuals and the incidence of acute CV events. 1,[34][35][36][37] In the present study, we reveal a strong association between circulating neutrophils and CV death, independently of the traditional risk factors for CVD. These data are in line with a previously published study demonstrating that healthy individuals with high baseline neutrophil counts are at increased risk to experience an ischemic coronary event and to die during the first day after the event.…”

Oxidized Low‐Density Lipoprotein (OxLDL)–Treated Dendritic Cells Promote Activation of T Cells in Human Atherosclerotic Plaque and Blood, Which Is Repressed by Statins: microRNA let‐7c Is Integral to the Effect

“…For example, transfer of CD4 + T cells to immunodeficient atherosclerosis‐prone mice accelerates atherosclerosis progression and abrogation of transforming growth factor‐beta (TGF‐β) signaling in T cells alters atherosclerotic plaques . Also, studies in humans support a pathologic role for pro‐inflammatory T cells . DCs most likely play an important role in atherosclerosis at different stages as specialized antigen‐presenting cells .…”

Characterization of CD8+CD57+ T cells in patients with acute myocardial infarction

“…12 However, a role for CD8 1 T cells in human coronary artery disease has been identified less than for CD4 1 T cells. 13 The accumulation of CD28 null T cells is one of the most prominent changes during the immune aging process. 14 Similarly, the expression of CD57, a terminally sulfated glycan carbohydrate epitope, on T cells is currently considered to be a surrogate marker of replicative senescence of T cells.…”