Affiliations: Unidade de Biologia Microvascular e Inflamação, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal | Grupo de Estudos Biomédicos, Unidade de Física e Aceleradores, Instituto Tecnológico e Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal | Serviço Cardiologia, Hospital Santa Marta, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Central, Lisboa, Portugal | Centro de Estudos de Doenças Crónicas, Faculdade Ciências Médias, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal | Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro & Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal | Centro de Física Nuclear, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
Note: [] Corresponding author: Patrícia Napoleão, Unidade de Biologia Microvascular e Inflamação, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Av. Professor Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal. E-mail: pnapoleao@fm.ul.pt
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Auto-immune responses are associated with oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) release, a key factor in plaque destabilization. Data on the relationship between ox-LDL and T lymphocytes in human populations remains scarce. T cells also react with other molecules from the lesion and/or damage the myocardium. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to examine the relationship between circulating T lymphocytes, ox-LDL, markers of myocardial necrosis (cTnT), myocardial dysfunction (N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide – NT-proBNP) and inflammation (C-reactive protein – CRP) in the setting of acute myocardial infarction. METHODS: A longitudinal study of 55 patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) were evaluated at three time points: admission, 2 and 40 days following admission, together with 30 patients with stable angina (SA) and 56 subjects without coronary artery disease serving as controls (CTR). RESULTS: STEMI patients had maximal ox-LDL values and minimal levels of CD3+ T lymphocytes at admission, which was normalized during the recovery period. The increasing trend of CD3+ T cells was positively associated with an ox-LDL decline over time. CRP and cTnT longitudinal variations were negatively associated with the CD3+ T-cell increasing trend. These associations were not found in SA patients or controls. CONCLUSIONS: The associations found between CD3+ T lymphocytes, ox-LDL and cTnT suggest a specificity of the immune response in AMI towards arterial and myocardial inflammation and remodelling.
Keywords: T lymphocytes, oxidized LDL, cardiac troponin T, C-reactive protein, acute coronary syndromes, longitudinal study
