Abstract
Objective
Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease involving activation of adaptive and innate
immune responses to modified lipoproteins. Dendritic cells (DCs), which are professional
antigen-presenting cells that activate T cells, are present in atherosclerotic lesions
but their role for atherosclerosis-related immunity is unclear.
Methods and results
To evaluate the role of DC in atherosclerosis, DCs pulsed with malondialdehyde modified
low density lipoprotein (MDA-LDL) were transferred into Apoe−/− mice. The extent of disease was measured in the aortic root and was compared to that
in animals treated with Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH) pulsed DCs and to untreated
animals. Mice receiving MDA-LDL pulsed DCs showed significantly larger atherosclerotic
lesions compared to controls, with increased inflammation in the lesions and antigen-specific
immune responses. Furthermore, MDA-LDL administration in complete Freund's adjuvant,
which is atheroprotective, led to the induction of regulatory T cells whereas MDA-LDL-DCs
treatment did not, suggesting that modulation of immune properties can result in different
effects on atherosclerosis.
Conclusions
DCs presenting components of LDL promote specific immunity to their antigen, increase
lesion inflammation and accelerate atherosclerosis.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 09, 2009
Accepted:
October 2,
2009
Received in revised form:
September 28,
2009
Received:
May 20,
2009
Identification
Copyright
© 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.