
Daniel Engelbertsen
Assistant researcher

Adaptive Immunity in Cardiovascular Disease
Author
Summary, in English
In the prospective Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort we studied the relation of T helper 1 (Th1) and T helper 2 (Th2) cells to future cardiovacular events. We found that baseline-levels of Th2 cells, but not Th1 cells, were inversely associated with intima-media thickness in the cohort and future coronary events in women. In another cohort, the SUMMIT cohort, we found that type 2 diabetes patients with concomitant CVD were characterized by elevated levels of pro-inflammatory CD4+ T effector memory cells. Using a novel technique (the matrigel) for determining the immune responses in vivo, Th2 responses against human ApoB100 was characterized. In another study, genetic deletion of the signaling protein myeloid differentiation protein 88 (MyD88) in CD4+ T cells was found to reduce atherosclerosis. This reduction was associated with decreased production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-17. In two separate studies, IgM antibodies against MGO-ApoB or MGO-ApoB-peptides were observed to be associated with reduced CVD. The mechanism mediating this protection against CVD remains to be clarified.
This thesis presents and discusses aspects of immunity, which are interesting targets for pharmaceutical intervention. Various components of adaptive immunity may be useful as biomarkers for determining patients with increased risk of developing CVD.
Department/s
- Cardiovascular Research - Immunity and Atherosclerosis
- EXODIAB: Excellence of Diabetes Research in Sweden
Publishing year
2013
Language
English
Publication/Series
Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series
Volume
2013:51
Full text
Document type
Dissertation
Publisher
Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University
Topic
- Clinical Medicine
Status
Published
Research group
- Cardiovascular Research - Immunity and Atherosclerosis
Supervisor
- Eva Bengtsson
- Jan Nilsson
- Harry Björkbacka
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1652-8220
- ISBN: 978-91-87449-21-5
Defence date
17 May 2013
Defence time
09:00
Defence place
Kvinnoklinikens Aula, Jan Waldenströms gata 47 , SUS Malmö
Opponent
- Andrew Lichtman (Professor)