Lymphocyte subset characterization in patients with early clinical presentation of coronary heart disease

This study aimed to investigate lymphocyte populations in non-diabetic patients with early clinical presentation of coronary heart disease (CHD). Twenty-five consecutive middle-aged (< 55 years) out-patients with CHD (acute myocardial infarction in the previous 3 months) and stable clinical conditions (> 1 month) underwent venous blood sampling in order to determinate CD3(+) (T-lymphocytes), CD19(+) (B-lymphocytes), CD4(+) (helper/inducer lymphocytes) and CD8(+) (suppressor/cytotoxic lymphocytes) populations. Patients with diabetes, heart failure symptoms, recent revascularization (< 30 days) were excluded. Twenty-five patients matched for age, gender and risk factors were enrolled as controls. All patients with CHD previously underwent coronary angiography. CHD patients showed lower CD3(+) levels (70.96 +/- A 4.72 vs. 74.12 +/- A 4.93 %, p < 0.05) and CD8(+) (37.80 +/- A 7.15 vs. 46.36 +/- A 5.22 %, p < 0.001) but higher CD4(+) (37.32 +/- A 7.99 vs. 31.64 +/- A 4.72 %, p < 0.01) and CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio (1.06 +/- A 0.43 vs. 0.69 +/- A 0.13, p < 0.001). Difference in CD19(+) levels was not statistically significant. Subjects with an impaired (a parts per thousand currency sign55 %) left ventricular ejection fraction were characterized by lower levels of CD8(+) (33.23 +/- A 7.04 vs. 43.76 +/- A 7.40 %, p < 0.05) and higher levels of CD4(+) (38.31 +/- A 8.23 vs. 32.73 +/- A 6.08 %, p < 0.05) and CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio (1.06 +/- A 0.38 vs. 0.79 +/- A 0.34, p < 0.05). CD8(+) levels inversely related to severity of coronary atherosclerosis (r = -0.37, p < 0.01). In conclusion, subjects with early clinical presentation of CHD are characterized by an altered CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio and lower CD3(+) levels.