CD36 mRNA expression is increased in CD14+ monocytes of patients with coronary heart disease.

1. Blood-derived monocytes/macrophages within the intima of the arterial wall are the main source of inflammatory cytokines and factors contributing to lesion growth, plaque instability and thrombotic events. In the present study, we assessed the hypothesis that mRNA expression levels of candidate genes of atherosclerosis in circulating CD14(+) blood monocytes are associated with coronary heart disease (CHD). 2. We investigated mRNA expression levels using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction of genes involved in cholesterol uptake (macrophage scavenger receptor (MSR1), scavenger receptor class B member 1 (SRB1), lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor 1 (LOX1), CD36, LDL receptor (LDLR)), reverse cholesterol transport (apolipoprotein E (ApoE), ATP-binding cassette sub-family A member 1 (ABCA1)) and inflammation (tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tissue factor) in CD14(+) monocytes from 119 consecutively recruited patients and found that median CD36 mRNA expression levels were significantly increased in patients with CHD compared with controls (111 x 10(3) vs 96 x 10(3) copies/10(6) copies beta-actin, respectively; n = 79 and 40, respectively; P < 0.05), despite a high interindividual variability in gene expression. 3. A common T --> C polymorphism (rs2151916) located only 14 bp upstream of the upstream transcriptional start site did not influence CD36 expression. 4. Expression levels of the other candidate genes investigated in the present study did not show any statistically significant differences between patients with CHD and controls. 5. We conclude that CD36 mRNA expression is significantly increased in patients with CHD and may serve as an indicator of CHD burden.