Introduction: Coronary angiography is able to induce a systemic inflammatory response. We hypothesised that this procedure may affect monocyte and dendritic cell count and membrane-associated antigen expression.
Methods: Blood samples were obtained before and immediately after coronary angiography in twenty patients with stable angina pectoris. Cell enumeration and antigen expression levels were evaluated by flow cytometry. Plasma levels of soluble CD14 and interleukin-6 were quantified by ELISA.
Results: The absolute and relative numbers of circulating monocytes (Mon1, Mon2 and Mon3 subsets) and dendritic cells (myeloid and plasmacytoid subsets) were not significantly different pre-versus post-angiography. Expression of CD14 on Mon1 and Mon2 decreased significantly by 12.01% (P = 0.002) and 13.01% (P=0.012), respectively. CD16 expression on Mon2 (+10.53%; P=0.017) and Mon3 (+12.58%; P<0.001) increased. CD45 expressed by monocytic and dendritic cells was lowered (-5.80% and P = 0.001, -11.49% and P < 0.001, respectively). The level of plasma IL-6 decreased significantly (P = 0.002). The reduction in sCD14 was not significant (P = 0.054).
Conclusion: Coronary angiography leads to changes in surface expression of CD14, CD16 and CD45. These findings underline the importance of blood collection prior to the angiographic procedure when aiming to study the functional analysis of monocyte and dendritic cell numbers by flow cytometry.