Macrophage polarization markers in subcutaneous, pericardial, and epicardial adipose tissue are altered in patients with coronary heart disease

Bianca Papotti; Trine Baur Opstad; Sissel Åkra; Theis Tønnessen; Bjørn Braathen; Charlotte Holst Hansen; Harald Arnesen; Svein Solheim; Ingebjørg Seljeflot; Nicoletta Ronda

doi:10.3389/fcvm.2023.1055069

Macrophage polarization markers in subcutaneous, pericardial, and epicardial adipose tissue are altered in patients with coronary heart disease

Front Cardiovasc Med. 2023 Mar 2:10:1055069. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1055069. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Bianca Papotti^{1

2}, Trine Baur Opstad^{1

3}, Sissel Åkra¹, Theis Tønnessen^{3

4}, Bjørn Braathen⁴, Charlotte Holst Hansen¹, Harald Arnesen^{1

3}, Svein Solheim¹, Ingebjørg Seljeflot^{1

3}, Nicoletta Ronda²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cardiology, Center for Clinical Heart Research, Oslo University Hospital Ullevål, Oslo, Norway.
² Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
³ Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
⁴ Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.

Abstract

Background: Epicardial and pericardial adipose tissue (EAT and PAT) surround and protect the heart, with EAT directly sharing the microcirculation with the myocardium, possibly presenting a distinct macrophage phenotype that might affect the inflammatory environment in coronary heart disease (CHD). This study aims to investigate the expression of genes in different AT compartments driving the polarization of AT macrophages toward an anti-inflammatory (L-Galectin 9; CD206) or pro-inflammatory (NOS2) phenotype.

Methods: EAT, PAT, and subcutaneous (SAT) biopsies were collected from 52 CHD patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, and from 22 CTRLs undergoing aortic valve replacement. L-Galectin9 (L-Gal9), CD206, and NOS2 AT gene expression and circulating levels were analyzed through RT-PCR and ELISA, respectively.

Results: L-Gal9, CD206, and NOS2 gene expression was similar in all AT compartments in CHD and CTRLs, as were also L-Gal9 and CD206 circulating levels, while NOS2 serum levels were higher in CHD (p = 0.012 vs. CTRLs). In CTRLs, NOS2 expression was lower in EAT vs. SAT (p = 0.007), while in CHD patients CD206 expression was lower in both SAT and EAT as compared to PAT (p = 0.003, p = 0.006, respectively), suggestive of a possible macrophage reprogramming toward a pro-inflammatory phenotype in EAT. In CHD patients, NOS2 expression in SAT correlated to that in PAT and EAT (p = 0.007, both), CD206 expression correlated positively to L-Gal9 (p < 0.001) only in EAT, and CD206 expression associated with that of macrophage identifying markers in all AT compartments (p < 0.001, all). In CHD patients, subjects with LDL-C above 1.8 mmol/L showed significantly higher NOS2 expression in PAT and EAT as compared to subjects with LDL-C levels below (p < 0.05), possibly reflecting increased cardiac AT pro-inflammatory activation. In SAT and PAT, CD206 expression associated with BMI in both CHD and CTRLs (p < 0.05, all), and with L-Gal9 in EAT, however only in CTRLs (p = 0.002).

Conclusion: CHD seems to be accompanied by an altered cardiac, and especially epicardial AT macrophage polarization. This may represent an important pathophysiological mechanism and a promising field of therapy targeting the excessive AT inflammation, in need of further investigation.

Keywords: LDL-C; adipose tissue; body mass index; coronary heart disease; inflammation; macrophage polarization.