Correlation between Serum Lipid Profiles and the Ratio and Count of the Cd16+Monocyte Subset in Peripheral Blood of Apparently Healthy Adults

Background and Purpose: Deposited vascular oxidized low- density lipoproteins (LDLs) are important triggers of the transformation of circulatory monocytes into macrophages. CD 16+ monocytes have been reported to be the precursors of tissue macrophages, In this study, we sought to determine the relationship between serum LDL-cholesterol and the percentage and count of the CD16+ monocyte subset in the peripheral blood of healthy adults. Methods: We studied the correlations between serum lipid profiles and both peripheral CD16+ and CD36+ monocyte subset ratios and counts in apparently healthy adults (50 men and 50 women). Monocyte surface antigens CD16 and CD36 on CD14+ monocytes were detected using fluorescent triple staining and flow- cytometry. Surface staining was performed by incubating 1 x 10(6) blood mononuclear cells with phycoerythrin-conjugated anti-CD14, fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated anti-CD36, and respective control isotopes (mouse IgGs). A total of 5, 000 cells were counted and the frequency of surface antigens was determined by FACscan. Results: A significant positive link between LDL-cholesterol and the CD16+ subset ratio was found by linear correlation analysis (p < 0 .05) but not by multivariate regression analysis. Both linear correlation analysis and ANOVA, revealed a significant inverse link between high- density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and the CD16+ subset ratio (both p