Plaque-infiltrating T lymphocytes in patients with carotid atherosclerosis: an insight into the cellular mechanisms associated to plaque destabilization.

Inflammation plays a crucial role in the progression of atherosclerotic plaques. The aim of the present study was to investigate phenotypic and functional characteristics of plaque-infiltrating T lymphocytes associated with a complicated phenotype of carotid atherosclerotic lesions.Atherosclerotic plaques were obtained from 17 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy and cultured to isolate infiltrating T lymphocytes. Blood samples were...