INKT CELLS IN DISLIPIDEMIA.

Natural killer T cells (NKT) are T lymphocytes with a reactivity directed against glycolipid antigens presented by MHC-like CD1d molecules expressed by antigen presenting cells (APC). A large proportion of these cells (invariant NKT cells (iNKT)) possess strong immunomodulatory properties which impose a profound impact on the development and course of chronic diseases. The main aim of this project was to characterize iNKT cells and CD4+ iNKT subset numerically and functionally in the context of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and in murine models of dyslipidemia. Additionally, using an in vitro PBMC proliferation essay in the presence of iNKT cell antigen (\u3b1-GalCer) and IL-2, we investigated how lipoproteins affect the ability of iNKT cells to proliferate following \u3b1-GalCer stimulation. We report that FH patients exhibit a significantly decreased percentage of CD4 positive iNKT compared to age and sex matched controls (Control: 40.8% \ub1 4.2% (\ub1SEM), N=31; FH patients: 19.2% \ub1 3.5% of total iNKT (\ub1SEM); N=26; *P