Leptin induces CD16 expression on human monocytes in a sex-specific manner (680.13)

In addition to a centrally-mediated influence on blood pressure, leptin stimulates monocyte migration, cytokine secretion, and other functions that contribute to hypertension and atherosclerotic plaque development. These functions are characteristics of CD16-positive monocytes implicated in the clinical progression of atherosclerosis. This investigation sought to determine if leptin promoted the development of CD16-positive monocytes in healthy men and women ranging in age from 20-59 years. Circulating numbers of CD14+16++ monocytes, which preferentially migrate into nascent plaques, correlated with plasma leptin in men (R = 0.68, P = 0.01), but not women. In vitro, exogenous leptin increased percentages of CD14+16++ monocytes in cultures of male cells and reduced them in cultures of female cells (P=0.03 for leptin*sex interaction). For all subjects, circulating CD14+16++ cell counts correlated with systolic pressure (R=0.45, P=0.02) and carotid intima-media thickness (R=0.36, P=0.04). There were no sex-r...