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(Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2005;25:1347.)
© 2005 American Heart Association, Inc.

Vascular Biology

High Prevalence of Circulating CD4⁺CD28^– T-Cells in Patients With Small Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Christina Duftner; Rüdiger Seiler; Peter Klein-Weigel; Heike Göbel; Christian Goldberger; Christian Ihling; Gustav Fraedrich; Michael Schirmer

From the Departments of Internal Medicine (C.D., C.G., M.S.) and Vascular Surgery (R.S., P.K.-W., G.F.), Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria; and the Department of Pathology (H.G., C.I.), University Hospital, Freiburg, Germany.

Correspondence to Michael Schirmer, MD, Assoc Prof, Clinical Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Division of General Internal Medicine, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria. E-mail michael.schirmer{at}uibk.ac.at

Objective— To assess the possible role of proinflammatory CD28^– T cells in abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Animal studies and human tissue studies suggest a role for interferon (IFN)-–producing T cells in the development and progression of AAAs.

Methods and Results— Fluorescence-activated cells sorter analysis of peripheral blood samples and measurement of AAA size using sonography were performed in 101 AAA patients and 38 healthy controls. Peripheral percentages of CD28^– T cells of the CD3⁺CD4⁺ and the CD3⁺CD8⁺ were enriched in AAA patients with 7.8±8.8% and 41.9±15.7% compared with healthy controls with 2.2±6.1% and 24.9±15.5%, respectively (P=0.002 and P<0.001, respectively). Both CD4⁺CD28^– and CD8⁺CD28^– T cells produced large amounts of IFN- and perforin. Patients with small AAAs (<4 cm) showed higher peripheral levels of CD4⁺CD28^– T cells than those with larger AAAs (P=0.025). Immunohistological examinations revealed 39.1±17.2% CD4⁺CD28^– and 44.0±13.8% CD8⁺CD28^– in AAA tissue specimens with inflammatory infiltrates.

Conclusions— IFN-– and perforin-producing CD28^– T cells are present in the periphery and the vessel wall of a majority of AAAs. This observation in humans favors the concept of a T cell–mediated pathophysiology of AAAs, especially during the early development of AAAs.

Animal studies and tissue studies suggest a role for interferon (IFN)-–producing T cells in the development of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). This study shows an increased prevalence of circulating IFN-–producing CD28^– T cells especially in smaller AAAs, and thus supports the concept of a T cell–mediated pathophysiology of AAAs.

Key Words: aortic disease • aneurysms • leukocytes • immune system • human

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