157 CD14++CD16+CCR2+ monocytes are increased in diffuse coronary artery disease

Background Monocytes play an integral role in the development of atherosclerosis. Specific monocyte subsets have been associated with excess cardiovascular events in different patient populations and highlighted as a potential therapeutic target. Objective To compare blood monocyte subsets in patients with focal coronary artery disease (CAD) and diffuse CAD. Methods Three monocyte subsets (CD14 + +CD16-CCR2+ [classical, Mon 1], CD14 + +CD16 + CCR2+ [intermediate, Mon 2] and CD14 + CD16 + +CCR2- [non-classical, Mon 3]) and their aggregates with platelets (monocyte-platelet aggregates, MPAs) were quantified by flow cytometry in 71 CAD patients (subdivided into a group with diffuse CAD [n = 50] and a group with focal CAD [n = 21] based on angiographic coronary artery morphology) and 39 age, sex and risk factor matched controls with normal coronary arteries assessed either invasively or non-invasively using computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA). Results The clinical characteristics of each group are shown in Table 1. Patients with diffuse CAD had a significantly higher proportion of Mon 2 than patients with focal disease (p = 0.02) or normal coronary arteries (p = 0.03) (Table 2). MPA associated with Mon 2 was also significantly higher in the diffuse CAD group (p Conclusion Patients with diffuse CAD have higher peripheral blood levels of Mon 2 and MPA associated with Mon 2 than patients with focal CAD. Our data support the notion that Mon 2 is related to worse CAD morphology.