The role of PD-1 and PD-L1 in patients with coronary artery disease

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K17570
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 53020:Cardiology-related
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University
• Principal Investigator: Fujisue Koichiro 熊本大学, 大学院生命科学研究部(医), 助教 (10779151)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 急性冠症候群 / 免疫チェックポイントタンパク / 動脈硬化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The immune system is involved in coronary artery disease, but the role of immune checkpoint proteins, Programmed death-1 (PD-1) and Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), that regulate these mechanisms in coronary artery disease is unknown. In this study, we investigated the involvement of PD-1 and PD-L1 in coronary artery disease.
Patients with acute coronary syndrome had higher levels of serum PD-L1 than those with chronic coronary syndrome. In addition, patients with coronary artery disease who had higher levels of sPD-L1 had a higher incidence of cardiovascular events than those with lower levels of sPD-L1.
These results suggest that PD-1 and PD-L1 can be novel markers and prognostic factors in patients with coronary artery disease.

Free Research Field

冠動脈疾患

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

近年、PD-1やPD-L1は悪性疾患の病態、治療において注目されている分子であるが、動脈硬化においてもその病態に炎症が深く関わっており、特に急性冠症候群の発症に密接な関連がある。急性冠症候群の病態にPD-1、 PD-L1が何らかの役割を担っている可能性があるが未だ解明されていなかった。
本研究結果からPD-1, PD-L1の冠動脈疾患における病態や予後との関連性が明らかとなり、新たなバイオマーカーになりうるとともに、新たな治療ターゲットとなる可能性がある。