Decreased Regulatory T Cells in Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Lesions: Imbalance between Pro- and Anti-Inflammatory Cells in Atherosclerosis
Table 4
Frequency of pro- and anti-inflammatory cells in unstable and stable plaques.
IHC marker
Control vessel (CV)
Stable plaque (SP)
Unstable plaque (UP)
(cells/0.1 mm2)
(cells/0.1 mm2)
CV versus SP
(cells/0.1 mm2)
CV versus UP
SP versus UP
Median
25–75% CI
Median
25–75% CI
value
Median
25–75% CI
value
value
APC/DC
CD68
13.8
5.0–19.8
43.9
27.0–74.4
<0.001
58.3
25.2–98.2
<0.01
n.s.
Fascin
35.0
24.1–46.9
42.2
20.0–55.8
n.s.
67.2
40.0–96.2
0.01
0.03
S100
57.3
6.4–108.8
53.5
25.3–73.4
n.s.
87.0
48.7–95.3
n.s.
0.01
CD83
9.3
0.0–36.1
14.9
5.7–49.5
n.s.
87.2
31.5–102.3
0.004
0.003
CD209
14.3
6.0–31.8
17.5
9.2–23.9
n.s.
43.5
23.7–70.6
0.01
0.004
CD123
3.3
0.1–16.1
2.4
0.8–7.9
n.s.
4.0
0.5–6.8
n.s.
n.s.
CD304
13.3
0.0–38.5
2.5
0.5–14.1
n.s.
4.0
2.7–14.5
n.s.
n.s.
Functional APC marker
HLA-DR
32.0
15.1–72.0
49.1
34.9–78.6
n.s.
77.0
48.4–119.6
0.007
0.03
T cells
CD3
12.3
4.5–31.4
24.3
7.6–37.8
n.s.
55.8
44.5–75.3
0.002
<0.001
CD4
9.0
0.8–19.0
5.5
2.7–7.8
n.s.
18.8
6.5–29.0
n.s.
0.008
CD8
3.5
0.5–9.5
5.3
2.9–10.3
n.s.
18.0
10.3–22.2
0.001
0.001
CD161
4.0
0.0–28.0
16.8
6.2–22.2
n.s.
25.3
14.1–37.2
0.02
0.03
Activated T cells
CD25
11.5
0.5–23.0
4.0
1.2–13.3
n.s.
26.3
11.3–36.0
n.s.
0.004
CD69
1.3
0.75–2.0
2.3
0.17–3.17
n.s.
3.8
2.5–9.5
n.s.
0.04
Tregs
FoxP3
7.3
3.8–43.8
31.9
16.3–49.8
0.02
9.0
2.7–24.6
n.s.
0.002
Chemokine Receptors
CCR6
38.0
11.5–50.0
36.3
16.5–57.0
n.s.
75.0
48.5–92.0
0.004
0.007
CCR4
32.5
24.0–43.5
43.0
13.2–61.0
n.s.
89.3
54.0–102.5
<0.001
0.003
Values are presented as median and 25%–75% confidence interval or percentage. APC: antigen presenting cell; CCR: chemokine receptor; Tregs: regulatory T cells; CV: control vessel; SP: stable plaque; UP: unstable plaque.
