Symptomatic Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaques Are Associated With Increased Infiltration of Natural Killer (NK) Cells and Higher Serum Levels of NK Activating Receptor Ligands.

ABSTRACT: A wide array of immune cells, including lymphocytes, is known to be present and to play a pathogenetic role in atherosclerotic lesions. However, limited information is currently available regarding the presence of Natural Killer (NK) cell subsets within vessel plaque, and more in general, regarding their role in human atherosclerosis. We evaluated the distribution of NK cells in human carotid atherosclerotic plaques, dissecting asymptomatic and symptomatic patients (identified as affected by stroke, transient ischemic attack, or amaurosis fugax within 6 months) with the aim of shedding light on the putative contribution of NK cells to the pathogenic process that leads to plaque instability and subsequent clinical complications. We observed that carotid plaques were consistently infiltrated

SUBMITTER: Bonaccorsi I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6639781 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature