Vascular dendritic cells express intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in atherosclerotic plaques

The presence of activated T cells in human atherosclerotic lesions is well established and cell adhesion molecules are thought to be regulators of T cell activation. Since the critical role of antigen-presenting dendritic cells in T cell activation with ICAM-1/LFA-1 is now recognized, we wondered whether CD1a(+) vascular dendritic cells express ICAM-1 in atherosclerotic lesions. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that CD1a(+) vascular dendritic cells mostly reside within inflammatory infiltrates located near neovascularization sites and that CD1a(+) cells express ICAM-1. These observations support an opinion that vascular dendritic cells might be involved in immune mechanisms in atherogenesis.