Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2013 Nov;25(11):615-22.
doi: 10.1093/intimm/dxt043.

T cells in atherosclerosis

Kevin Tse  1 , Harley Tse, John Sidney, Alex Sette, Klaus Ley
Affiliations
Review

T cells in atherosclerosis

Kevin Tse et al. Int Immunol. 2013 Nov.

Abstract

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the artery wall. Atherosclerotic lesions contain monocytes, macrophages, smooth muscle cells and T lymphocytes. Here, we review the role of T-lymphocyte subsets in atherosclerosis. Among CD4⁺T cells, T(h)1 cells are pro-atherogenic, T(reg) cells are athero-protective and the role of T(h)2 and T(h)17 cells remains unclear. The role of follicular helper T cells in atherosclerosis remains unknown, as is the role of CD8⁺T cells. NKT cells bind glycolipid antigens and exert a pro-atherogenic role. The antigen specificity of T-cell responses in atherosclerosis is poorly understood. In order to enable antigen-specific prevention or therapy, a better understanding of these mechanisms is needed.

Keywords: T cell; atherosclerosis; inflammation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
The effects of T-cell subsets on atherosclerosis. Pro-atherogenic: Th1 (red). The presence of IL-12 and IL-18 causes Th1 skewing. IL-12 results in activation of the downstream transcription factor, T-bet. T-bet activation results in pro-inflammatory cytokine production, including IFN-γ and TNF. Athero-protective: Treg (green). IL-10 and TGF-β are required for Treg commitment. nTregs, and some iTregs, express the transcription factor FoxP3 and can produce IL-10 and/or TGF-β. Controversial: Th17 (yellow, left) and Th2 (yellow, right). Th17 differentiation requires a combination of several cytokines, including IL-6, TGF- β, IL-23 and IL-1β. These cells express the transcription factor RORγT, and produce IL-17A/F and IL-22. Naive CD4+ T cells commit to a Th2 lineage under the influence of IL-4. In a positive feedback loop, IL-4 increases expression of the transcription factor GATA3, which produces additional IL-4 and inhibits IFN-γ production. Unknown: Follicular helper T cells (blue). These are CD4+ T cells found in the B-cell follicles of secondary lymphoid organs. They constitutively express CXCR5 on their cell surface. They secrete IL-21 and express the transcription factor Bcl6.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Kavey R. E., Daniels S. R., Lauer R. M., Atkins D. L., Hayman L. L., Taubert K. American Heart Association 2003. American Heart Association guidelines for primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease beginning in childhood. Circulation 107:1562. - PubMed
    1. Hansson G. K., Hermansson A. 2011. The immune system in atherosclerosis. Nat. Immunol. 12:204. - PubMed
    1. Wick G., Perschinka H., Millonig G. 2001. Atherosclerosis as an autoimmune disease: an update. Trends Immunol. 22:665. - PubMed
    1. Silverstein R. L., Febbraio M. 2000. CD36 and atherosclerosis. Curr. Opin. Lipidol. 11:483. - PubMed
    1. Libby P., Ridker P. M., Hansson G. K. 2011. Progress and challenges in translating the biology of atherosclerosis. Nature 473:317. - PubMed

Publication types