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IFNγ+ NKT-like cells are associated with increased incidence of atrial fibrillation in elderly women

Sveen, Kari Anne LU ; Smith, J. Gustav LU orcid ; Engelbertsen, Daniel LU ; Schiopu, Alexandru LU orcid ; Edsfeldt, Andreas LU orcid ; Engström, Gunnar LU ; Goncalves, Isabel LU orcid ; Nilsson, Jan LU ; Björkbacka, Harry LU orcid and Bengtsson, Eva LU orcid (2025) In European Heart Journal Open 5(3).
Abstract

Aims T cells are present in atrial tissue from atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. However, prospective studies of T cells and AF development are few. The current aim was to investigate if T-cell subsets are associated with the risk of developing AF. Methods and results T-cell subsets, measured by flow cytometry of cryopreserved mononuclear leucocytes isolated from blood at baseline, were analysed for associations of incident AF in 669 subjects from a population-based cohort. Subjects were followed for incidence of AF for 18.6 (11.5-21.7) years during which 145 subjects were diagnosed with AF. Incident AF cases had higher levels of CD3+CD56+ NKT-like cells. No differences in CD3+,... (More)

Aims T cells are present in atrial tissue from atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. However, prospective studies of T cells and AF development are few. The current aim was to investigate if T-cell subsets are associated with the risk of developing AF. Methods and results T-cell subsets, measured by flow cytometry of cryopreserved mononuclear leucocytes isolated from blood at baseline, were analysed for associations of incident AF in 669 subjects from a population-based cohort. Subjects were followed for incidence of AF for 18.6 (11.5-21.7) years during which 145 subjects were diagnosed with AF. Incident AF cases had higher levels of CD3+CD56+ NKT-like cells. No differences in CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8, Th1, Th2, or regulatory T cells between incident AF cases and non-cases were observed. Women had higher levels of NKT-like cells than men. High numbers of NKT-like cells were associated with an increased risk of developing AF in women [HR (95% CI) 1.88 (1.10-3.23) above vs. below median], but not in men or in the total cohort. The majority of NKT-like cells were IFNγ+ after stimulation. High numbers of IFNγ+ NKT-like cells were associated with increased risk for developing AF in women. Median fluorescence intensity of IFNγfor NKT-like cells was higher in cases of incident AF in women, but not in the total cohort or in men. Conclusion High levels of IFNγ+ NKT-like cells in blood are associated with increased risk of incident AF in women, supporting a role for T cells in development of AF and emphasizing sex differences in this context.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Incident atrial fibrillation, NKT-like cell, T cell
in
European Heart Journal Open
volume
5
issue
3
article number
oeaf063
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:105009279005
ISSN
2752-4191
DOI
10.1093/ehjopen/oeaf063
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s).
id
8dac5301-ff5d-4409-81af-e81ea69e5908
date added to LUP
2025-10-13 09:06:50
date last changed
2025-10-14 10:58:57
@article{8dac5301-ff5d-4409-81af-e81ea69e5908,
  abstract     = {{<p>Aims T cells are present in atrial tissue from atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. However, prospective studies of T cells and AF development are few. The current aim was to investigate if T-cell subsets are associated with the risk of developing AF. Methods and results T-cell subsets, measured by flow cytometry of cryopreserved mononuclear leucocytes isolated from blood at baseline, were analysed for associations of incident AF in 669 subjects from a population-based cohort. Subjects were followed for incidence of AF for 18.6 (11.5-21.7) years during which 145 subjects were diagnosed with AF. Incident AF cases had higher levels of CD3<sup>+</sup>CD56<sup>+</sup> NKT-like cells. No differences in CD3<sup>+</sup>, CD3<sup>+</sup>CD4<sup>+</sup>, CD3<sup>+</sup>CD8, Th1, Th2, or regulatory T cells between incident AF cases and non-cases were observed. Women had higher levels of NKT-like cells than men. High numbers of NKT-like cells were associated with an increased risk of developing AF in women [HR (95% CI) 1.88 (1.10-3.23) above vs. below median], but not in men or in the total cohort. The majority of NKT-like cells were IFNγ<sup>+</sup> after stimulation. High numbers of IFNγ<sup>+</sup> NKT-like cells were associated with increased risk for developing AF in women. Median fluorescence intensity of IFNγfor NKT-like cells was higher in cases of incident AF in women, but not in the total cohort or in men. Conclusion High levels of IFNγ<sup>+</sup> NKT-like cells in blood are associated with increased risk of incident AF in women, supporting a role for T cells in development of AF and emphasizing sex differences in this context.</p>}},
  author       = {{Sveen, Kari Anne and Smith, J. Gustav and Engelbertsen, Daniel and Schiopu, Alexandru and Edsfeldt, Andreas and Engström, Gunnar and Goncalves, Isabel and Nilsson, Jan and Björkbacka, Harry and Bengtsson, Eva}},
  issn         = {{2752-4191}},
  keywords     = {{Incident atrial fibrillation; NKT-like cell; T cell}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{3}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{European Heart Journal Open}},
  title        = {{IFNγ<sup>+</sup> NKT-like cells are associated with increased incidence of atrial fibrillation in elderly women}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ehjopen/oeaf063}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/ehjopen/oeaf063}},
  volume       = {{5}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}