HETEROGENEITY AND DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIP WITH BIOCHEMICAL AND INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS FOR THE CIRCULATING CD16+ MONOCYTES SUBSETS IN ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSMS (AAA)

HETEROGENEITY AND DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIP WITH BIOCHEMICAL AND INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS FOR THE CIRCULATING CD16+ MONOCYTES SUBSETS IN ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSMS (AAA) Chiara Barisione, G. Ghigliotti, S. Garibaldi, C. Brunelli, G. Spinella, B. Pane, D. Palmieri, P. Spallarossa, P. Fabbi, P. Altieri, D. Palombo Modulation of innate immunity occurs in AAA, which is an evolution of the atherothrombotic plaque. Monocytes display considerable heterogeneity, and three subsets are identified, based on the differential expression of CD14 and CD16 receptor: the classical CD16- monocytes and the activated CD16+ monocytes, further differentiated into CD14++CD16+ and CD14+CD16+ cells. CD143(ACE) is overexpressed during monocyte/macrophage differentiation. Higher CD16+ cell number and CD143 expression are present during inflammatory diseases, such as Chronic Kidney disease (CKD). Plasma D-dimer is increased in patients with AAA, and might contribute to the circulating pro-inflammatory setting. Aim of our work was to determine the monocyte subsets frequency in AAA patients, and its relationship with D-dimer levels, renal function and other parameters of inflammation. Peripheral blood from 76 patients with large (>55 mm) AAA, and 24 healthy controls was analyzed to determine monocytic CD14++CD16+ and CD14+CD16+ frequencies and CD143 expression by flowcytometry. AAA patients have higher frequency of CD14++CD16+ and similar levels of CD14+CD16+ monocytes when compared to Controls. In AAA patients, raised D-dimer levels(r:0.440), age (r:0.310), reduced eGFR (r: -0.237) predict increases of CD14++CD16+ counts, while increased levels of Cystatin C (r:0.489), of uric acid (r: 0.277), of monocyte CD143 (r:0.241), and reduced white blood cell count (r:-0.300) predicted increases of CD14+CD16+ counts . In conclusion, in AAA patients:1) we found a selective expansion of CD14++CD16+ monocyte subset, when compared with Controls; 2) we provided evidence for heterogeneity within the CD16+ monocytes, by attributing specific relationship between circulating subsets and cell-associated biochemical and inflammatory biomarkers.