Circulating monocytes in patients with diabetes mellitus, arterial disease, and increased CD14 expression

Low serum concentrations of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and elevated levels of acute-phase reactans are frequently found in patients wi th non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and cardiovascular disea se. Changes in the phenotype of circulating monocytes have been reported wi th both of these circumstances in nondiabetic subjects. In the present stud y, we explored the possibility that similar changes may occur in circulatin g monocytes of patients with NIDDM and arterial disease. Two groups of subj ects with NIDDM were studied: patients with cardiovascular disease (n = 25) were compared with a group without cardiovascular disease (n = 26); both g roups were age- and sex-matched, had the same length of diabetes duration, and degree of glycemic control. Healthy nondiabetic volunteers of comparabl e age and sex (n = 35) formed the control group. There was no significant d ifference in the numbers of the CD14+/CD16+ monocyte subpopulations between the 3 groups. However, a significant graded increase of the mCD14 intensit y expression values was observed among the groups, with the highest levels in patients with NIDDM patients and the lowest in nondiabetic subjects. The serum C-reactive protein concentrations were significantly higher in the g roup with arterial disease compared with those without arterial disease or healthy controls. in the group of patients as a whole, relative mCD14 inten sity expression was significantly correlated with HDL cholesterol levels (i nversely) and with serum concentrations of C-reactive protein. Serum HDL ch olesterol levels and the C-reactive protein concentrations were also signif icantly for related. We concluded that the increased mCD14 intensity expres sion on circulating monocytes may be an important contributor to the increa sed inflammatory response observed in patients with NIDDM and arterial dise ase, and eventually, to atherogenesis. (C) 2000 by Excerpta Medico, Inc.