Erschienen in:
01.10.2013
T Helper Cell Polarization in Healthy People: Implications for Cardiovascular Disease
verfasst von:
Nels C. Olson, Reem Sallam, Margaret F. Doyle, Russell P. Tracy, Sally A. Huber
Erschienen in:
Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research
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Ausgabe 5/2013
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Abstract
Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by T lymphocyte infiltration into the atherosclerotic plaque. Assessments of T cell subtypes have demonstrated a predominance of CD4+ T helper (Th) cells, implicated Th1 and Th17 immunity in both human and mouse atherogenesis, and provided some evidence suggesting protective roles of Th2 and T regulatory cells. Observations that certain inbred mouse strains have an inherent T helper bias suggest a genetic predisposition toward developing a particular T helper phenotype. This review summarizes our current understanding of mechanisms of antigen processing for major histocompatibility complex molecules, describes the different T helper cell subsets and their roles in atherosclerosis, and discusses mechanisms of genetic predisposition toward Th1/Th2 bias in mice. We also present data from our laboratory demonstrating inherent Th1/Th2 phenotypes in apparently healthy human volunteers that are stable over time and discuss the potential implications for cardiovascular disease.