Introduction:
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a chronic disease characterized by systemic inflammation. Monocytes (Mo) and macrophages play a central role in vascular inflammation and its resolution. We hypothesize that impaired resolution in PAD results in poor clinical outcomes.
Methods:
Resolution phenotype was assessed by phagocytic activity of leukocytes, Mo cell surface markers, and cytokine profiling of Mo-derived macrophages (MDM). Phagocytosis and cell-surface markers were determined by flow cytometry. MDMs were generated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells via density gradient centrifugation. Cytokines were measured by ELISA following MDM differentiation and subsequent stimulation with LPS.
Results:
Circulating Mo and neutrophils (PMN) isolated from PAD patients (n=9) demonstrated significantly lower phagocytic activity (Mo: >30%, p<.001; PMN: >25%, p<.01, Fig. 1) as compared to healthy subjects (HS) (n=14). Cell-surface marker analysis demonstrated a higher proportion of the pro-inflammatory intermediate Mo subset (CD14
++
16
+
, 1.8-fold, p=.04) in PAD compared to HS. MDM from PAD subjects retain their intrinsic inflammatory program by producing more IL-6 (PAD 3138±2676 ng/mL, HS 731±854 ng/mL p=.03) and IL-1β (PAD 244±236 ng/mL, HS 24.1±23.8 ng/mL p=.04) than those from HS. Upon stimulation with LPS, MDM from PAD subjects secrete more IL-6 (PAD 23353±22483 ng/mL, HS 5097±5836 ng/mL p=.05) than those from HS.
Conclusions:
Circulating Mo and PMN in patients with PAD have substantially lower phagocytic activity as well as a greater proportion of the pro-inflammatory intermediate Mo subset compared to HS. MDM preserve their elevated inflammatory state throughout culture and retain a heightened response upon latter stimulatory cues. Collectively these data demonstrate a heightened inflammatory and impaired resolution phenotype in PAD that has potential implications for disease progression and response to interventions.
AUTOLOGOUS BONE-MARROW MONONUCLEAR CELLS AMELIORATE SYMPTOMS BY ENHANCING PERFUSION INDICES IN PATIENTS WITH END-STAGE PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL DISEASE
