The primary objective of this research was to assess the activation level of circulating monocytes in patients with unstable angina.
Markers of systemic inflammatory responses are increased in patients with unstable coronary syndromes, but the activation state and invasive capacity of circulating monocytes have not been directly assessed.
Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (MC) activation in blood samples isolated from patients with stable and unstable coronary artery disease was measured in two studies. In study 1, a modified Boyden chamber assay was used to assess spontaneous cellular migration rates. In study 2, optical analysis of MC membrane fluidity was correlated with soluble CD14 (sCD14), a cellular activation marker.
Increased rates of spontaneous monocyte migration (p < 0.01) were detected in patients with unstable angina (UA) (Canadian Cardiovascular Society [CCS] angina class IV) on comparison to patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI), stable angina (CCS angina classes I to III) or normal donors. No significant increase in lymphocyte migration was detected in any patient category. Baseline MC membrane fluidity measurements and sCD14 levels in patients with CCS class IV angina were significantly increased on comparison with MCs from normal volunteers (p < 0.001). A concomitant reduction in the MC response to activation was detected (p < 0.05).
Using two complementary assays, activated monocytes with increased invasive capacity were detected in the circulation of patients with unstable angina. This is the first demonstration of increased monocyte invasive potential in unstable patients, raising the issue that systemic inflammation may both reflect and potentially drive plaque instability.
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 4. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 11 January 2017.
All research outputs
#10,711,062
of 34,360,257 outputs
Outputs from JACC
#14,323
of 22,472 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#26,729
of 66,473 outputs
Outputs of similar age from JACC
#63
of 106 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 34,360,257 research outputs across all sources so far. This one has received more attention than most of these and is in the 67th percentile.
So far Altmetric has tracked 22,472 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 30.3. This one is in the 35th percentile – i.e., 35% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 106 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 40th percentile – i.e., 40% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
