Accumulating evidence suggests that an imbalance in T-helper type 1 (Th1)/Th2 response with enhanced Th1 immune response has an important role in the process of coronary artery disease (CAD). Dendritic cell (DC) subsets, myeloid DCs (mDCs) and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs), could regulate immune reactions by polarizing naive T-helper cells into Th1 or Th2 effector cells. In this study, total peripheral-blood DCs and mDC and pDC subsets were examined in patients with coronary heart disease. Thirty-two men who underwent coronary angiography for chest pain were divided into the CAD group (n = 21) and control group (normal coronary angiographic results, n = 11). Peripheral-blood DCs and DC subsets were detected using a 3-color flow cytometry technique. DCs were defined as Lin1(-)HLA-DR(+); mDCs, as Lin1(-)HLA-DR(+)CD11c(+); and pDCs, as Lin1(-)HLA-DR(+)CD123(+). The absolute number of peripheral-blood DCs was significantly higher in the CAD group compared with the control group (p = 0.04). The mDC fraction in terms of both percentage and absolute number was also significantly increased in the CAD group compared with the control group (all p <0.05), whereas the pDC fraction was similar between the 2 groups (p >0.05). The mDC/pDC ratio was significantly increased in the CAD group than in the control group (p = 0.01). In conclusion, total peripheral-blood DCs are significantly higher in patients with CAD because of an increase in mDC subset, which might contribute to enhanced Th1 response in patients with CAD.