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CD163+ macrophages are associated with a vulnerable plaque phenotype in human carotid plaques

Bengtsson, Eva LU orcid ; Hultman, Karin LU ; Edsfeldt, Andreas LU ; Persson, Ana LU ; Nitulescu, Mihaela LU ; Nilsson, Jan LU ; Gonçalves, Isabel LU orcid and Björkbacka, Harry LU orcid (2020) In Scientific Reports 10(1).
Abstract

Macrophages are a functionally heterogeneous group of immune cells abundant in atherosclerotic plaques. Macrophages expressing CD163 are associated with intraplaque hemorrhage and have previously been considered atheroprotective. However, in a recent study CD163-deficient atherosclerotic ApoE−/− mice exhibited smaller and less complex plaques, suggesting a proatherogenic role of CD163. Previous smaller studies on CD163+ macrophages and plaque stability in humans have yielded diverging results. Here we assessed the association of CD163+ cells to plaque vulnerability in a large cohort of human carotid plaques. CD163 protein expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in 200 human carotid plaques removed by endarterectomy... (More)

Macrophages are a functionally heterogeneous group of immune cells abundant in atherosclerotic plaques. Macrophages expressing CD163 are associated with intraplaque hemorrhage and have previously been considered atheroprotective. However, in a recent study CD163-deficient atherosclerotic ApoE−/− mice exhibited smaller and less complex plaques, suggesting a proatherogenic role of CD163. Previous smaller studies on CD163+ macrophages and plaque stability in humans have yielded diverging results. Here we assessed the association of CD163+ cells to plaque vulnerability in a large cohort of human carotid plaques. CD163 protein expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in 200 human carotid plaques removed by endarterectomy from 103 patients with and 93 patients without cerebrovascular symptoms. Furthermore, CD163 mRNA expression was analyzed in 66 of the plaques. Both protein and mRNA expression of CD163 was higher in plaques from symptomatic patients and in plaques with high vulnerability index. CD163+ macrophages were primarily found in shoulder regions and in the center of the plaques. The present data show that CD163 is associated with increased plaque vulnerability in human carotid plaques, supporting the notion that CD163+ macrophages could contribute to clinical events.

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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Scientific Reports
volume
10
issue
1
article number
14362
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • scopus:85090044060
  • pmid:32873809
ISSN
2045-2322
DOI
10.1038/s41598-020-71110-x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
22e83d43-4c7d-480f-ab96-923612d0db33
date added to LUP
2020-09-14 12:29:11
date last changed
2024-05-30 22:17:46
@article{22e83d43-4c7d-480f-ab96-923612d0db33,
  abstract     = {{<p>Macrophages are a functionally heterogeneous group of immune cells abundant in atherosclerotic plaques. Macrophages expressing CD163 are associated with intraplaque hemorrhage and have previously been considered atheroprotective. However, in a recent study CD163-deficient atherosclerotic ApoE<sup>−/−</sup> mice exhibited smaller and less complex plaques, suggesting a proatherogenic role of CD163. Previous smaller studies on CD163+ macrophages and plaque stability in humans have yielded diverging results. Here we assessed the association of CD163+ cells to plaque vulnerability in a large cohort of human carotid plaques. CD163 protein expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in 200 human carotid plaques removed by endarterectomy from 103 patients with and 93 patients without cerebrovascular symptoms. Furthermore, CD163 mRNA expression was analyzed in 66 of the plaques. Both protein and mRNA expression of CD163 was higher in plaques from symptomatic patients and in plaques with high vulnerability index. CD163+ macrophages were primarily found in shoulder regions and in the center of the plaques. The present data show that CD163 is associated with increased plaque vulnerability in human carotid plaques, supporting the notion that CD163+ macrophages could contribute to clinical events.</p>}},
  author       = {{Bengtsson, Eva and Hultman, Karin and Edsfeldt, Andreas and Persson, Ana and Nitulescu, Mihaela and Nilsson, Jan and Gonçalves, Isabel and Björkbacka, Harry}},
  issn         = {{2045-2322}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Scientific Reports}},
  title        = {{CD163+ macrophages are associated with a vulnerable plaque phenotype in human carotid plaques}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-71110-x}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/s41598-020-71110-x}},
  volume       = {{10}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}