Linking CD11b⁺ Dendritic Cells and Natural Killer T Cells to Plaque Inflammation in Atherosclerosis

Table 1

Patient characteristics.

Variable	Carotid artery plaque ()	Femoral artery plaque ()	Significance^†
Age (years)	72 ± 2	71 ± 2	NS
Male gender (%)	60	68	NS
Degree of artery stenosis (%)	82 ± 2	87 ± 1	NS
Risk factors (%)
Family history	20	46	< 0.05
Hypertension	71	78	NS
Hypercholesterolemia	80	75	NS
Diabetes mellitus	42	27	NS
Smoking	46	70	< 0.01
Obesity	29	22	NS
Prior vascular intervention	46	68	NS
Medication (%)
Acetylsalicylic acid	98	92	NS
NSAIDs	3	3	NS
Beta-blockers	46	65	NS
Calcium channel blockers	34	22	NS
ACE inhibitors	43	35	NS

^†Significant differences between plaque locations; NS: no significance.