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Monocytes/macrophages and lymphocytes have a key role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis through the production of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. We evaluated mRNA expression and protein production of CCL2, CXCL8, CXCL9, CXCL10, IFN-gamma and IL-10 in vitro as well as the expression of the CCR2 and CXCR3 receptors in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and healthy controls in the presence or absence of oxidized LDL (oxLDL). Patients with CAD showed higher constitutive expression of CCL2, CXCL8, CXCL9, CXCL10 and IFN-gamma mRNA and, after stimulation with oxLDL, higher expression of CCL2 and CXCL8 mRNA than the control group. We also detected higher levels of CCL2 and CXCL8 in supernatants of oxLDL-stimulated PBMCs from CAD patients than in corresponding supernatants from controls. Patients with CAD had a higher percentage of constitutive CCR2(+) and CXCR3(+) cells after stimulation with oxLDL. Among CAD patients, the main differences between the stable (SA) and unstable angina (UA) groups were lower IL-10 mRNA production in the latter group. Altogether, our data suggest that PBMCs from CAD patients are able to produce higher concentrations of chemokines and cytokines involved in the regulation of monocyte and lymphocyte migration and retention in atherosclerotic lesions.

HIV infected individuals show a wide spectrum of changes caused by systemic immunosuppression homing from the virus itself or therapies used to improve this state. Uncontrolled replication of the virus causes changes in lipid profile, such as increased levels of triglycerides, low density lipoprotein and decreased high density lipoprotein, to promote a dyslipidemia condition [1]. Oxidative stress is also elevated in HIV+ patients due to excessive production of free radicals that play a major role in oxidative modification in LDL particle [2]. HIV+ patients with low counts of T CD4 cells show reduced plasma levels of anti-LDLm (LDL modified), and these low levels of antibodies are also associated with the lipodystrophy syndrome[3].SerumlevelsofOxLDLarehigherinHIV+patientsonantiretroviral therapy especially in patients with lipodystrophy syndrome compared with soronegative patients [4]. There are also other types of disorders that are frequent in HIV infection, such as endothelial dysfunction and metabolic disorders including insulin resistance [5]. All these factors increase the risk of HIV+ patients to accelerate the progression of the atherosclerosis. In this cross-section study, we included consecutive 69 adult patients of both gender with sorological positive to HIV infection. In HIV-infectedindividouswereevaluatedimmunemarkers,HIVinfection