Role of fractalkine in myocardial ischaemia and reperfusion
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Role of fractalkine in myocardial ischaemia and reperfusion
IRAS ID
167121
Contact name
Ioakim Spyridopoulos
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
6 years, 10 months, 1 days
Research summary
Coronary heart disease (CHD), a condition where there is inadequate blood supply to the heart muscle due to blockages in the heart arteries, can lead to a heart attack (myocardial infarction or MI). It is the leading cause of death in the United Kingdom. The cause of CHD is atherosclerosis, which is a build up of fatty deposits on artery walls causing chronic inflammation which leads to progressive shifts of certain types of blood cells to the site of damage, eventually speeding up the development of CHD. A cascade of biochemical events involving the local vascular system, the immune system, its signalling molecules and various cells within the injured tissue, promotes the inflammatory response. Activation of certain types of lymphocytes (a subset of the immune system white blood cells) are involved in chronic inflammation and increased levels of dysfunctional (senescent) lymphocytes have been linked to CHD however their role in MI has not been investigated in detail.
Fractalkine, a molecule that attracts a subset of lymphocytes that express its receptor (CX3CR1), is activated by the same mechanisms that cause atherosclerosis and its level in the blood increases after an MI. This suggests fractalkine may play an important role during the acute phase of an MI and thereby accelerate atherosclerosis. The goal of the study is to address whether fractalkine could be the link between an aging immune system and vascular inflammation following an MI.
We will include consenting patients presenting with an MI who undergo treatment for CHD by percutaneous coronary intervention at Freeman Hospital. We will obtain several blood samples after stent implantation to investigate the distribution and fitness of different lymphocytes and other white blood cell subsets. We will assess left ventricular function following MI by echocardiography, arterial compliance assessment by plethysmography as well as physical activity by Wrist Accelerometer.REC name
East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/EM/0072
Date of REC Opinion
17 Feb 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion