Objective: Gammadelta (γδ) T cells are a subset of pro-inflammatory innate-like T lymphocytes that serve as a bridge between innate and adaptive immunity. γδ T cells are highly enriched in cholesterol compared to αβ T cells. In this study, we aimed to identify the role of γδ T cells in atherosclerosis, a cholesterol and inflammation-driven disease.
Methods: We found that the percentages of γδ T cells are increased in ApoE(-/-) mice fed a Western diet. We generated TCRδ(-/-)ApoE(-/-) mice and fed them either rodent chow or a Western diet for ten weeks for the assessment of atherosclerosis.
Results: The atherosclerotic lesion size in diet-fed TCRδ(-/-)ApoE(-/-) mice was similar to that of diet-fed ApoE(-/-) mice. There were no differences in cytokine production or numbers of αβ T cells in aorta of TCRδ(-/-)ApoE(-/-) mice. Plasma lipoprotein profiles were unchanged by the absence of γδ T cells.
Conclusion: Our data suggest that γδ T cells do not contribute to early atherosclerotic plaque development.
Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Cholesterol; Gammadelta.
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