Expansion of peripheral CD8⁺ T cells in patients with coronary artery disease: relation to cytomegalovirus infection

Abstract

A pronounced shift in peripheral T-cell homeostasis was observed in CAD patients. Primarily CMV infection but also CAD per se contributed to the expansion of CD8+ T-cell subsets. The T-cell changes were not related to a systemic inflammatory response but should rather be considered as markers of a chronic antigen exposure and/or immunosenescence in CAD.