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CD 4 + CD 56 + natural killer T‐like cells secreting interferon‐γ are associated with incident coronary events
Author(s) -
Björkbacka H.,
Berg K. E.,
Manjer J.,
Engelbertsen D.,
Wigren M.,
Ljungcrantz I.,
Andersson L.,
Hedblad B.,
Fredrikson G. N.,
Nilsson J.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.625
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1365-2796
pISSN - 0954-6820
DOI - 10.1111/joim.12392
Subject(s) - medicine , hazard ratio , natural killer t cell , immunology , proportional hazards model , incidence (geometry) , cancer , interferon , endocrinology , confidence interval , immune system , t cell , physics , optics
Background CD 3 + CD 56 + natural killer T ( NKT )‐like cells are a subset of T cells characterized by expression of NK receptors and potent antitumour activity. It has also been suggested that they have a role in autoimmune disease, and levels of NKT ‐like cells are elevated in patients with coronary disease. Objectives To investigate whether high levels of CD 3 + CD 56 + NKT ‐like cells are associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease and a lower incidence of cancer. Methods This was a prospective study including 700 subjects participating in the baseline investigation of the Malmö Diet and Cancer study between 1991 and 1994. Leucocytes obtained at the baseline investigation and stored at −140 °C were thawed and CD 3 + CD 56 + cells analysed by flow cytometry. The incidence rates of cancer and coronary events during a mean follow‐up of 15 years were determined through national registers. Results Subjects in the lowest tertile of interferon ( IFN )‐γ‐expressing CD 4 + CD 56 + cells were found to have an increased risk of incidence of coronary events (log‐rank test: P < 0.05). This association remained significant after controlling for age, sex, smoking, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes and the Th1/Th2 and Th1/Treg cell ratios in a Cox proportional hazards regression model (hazard ratio 1.98, 95% confidence interval 1.24–3.16), but not when the LDL / HDL ratio was included in the model. There were no associations between CD 3 + CD 56 + NKT ‐like cells and incident cancer. Conclusions The present results could not confirm the hypothesis that low levels of CD 3 + CD 56 + NKT ‐like cells are associated with a higher incidence of cancer and a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease. However, we found that low levels of IFN ‐γ‐expressing CD 3 + CD 4 + CD 56 + NKT ‐like cells were associated with an increased incidence of coronary events and that this association may be dependent on lipoproteins.