PCSK9 Expression in Epicardial Adipose Tissue: Molecular Association with Local Tissue Inflammation

Table 2

Correlation analyses of PCSK9 with genes involved in the inflammatory response in EAT.

Genes	Family group	Function	Correlation coefficient, value
C5	Regulation of inflammation	Member of the complement system: mediator of local inflammatory process	0.446, 0.038
CCL11	Chemokine	Chemotactic activity for eosinophils	0.508, 0.016
CCL20	Chemokine	Chemotactic activity for lymphocytes	0.470, 0.028
CCL21	Chemokine	Chemotactic for thymocytes and activated T-cells, but not for B-cells, macrophages, or neutrophils	-0.447, 0.037
CCR6	Chemokine receptor	Ligand for macrophage inflammatory protein 3 alpha	0.416, 0.050
CEBPB	Regulation of inflammation	Transcription factor regulating the expression of genes involved in immune and inflammatory responses	0.433, 0.044
CSF3	Regulation of inflammation	It control of production, differentiation, and function of granulocytes	0.423, 0.049
CXCL2	Regulation of inflammation	Produced by activated monocytes and neutrophils and expressed at sites of inflammation and may suppress progenitor cell proliferation	0.459, 0.032
CXCL6	Regulation of inflammation	Chemotactic for neutrophil granulocytes	0.459, 0.031
CXCL10	Regulation of inflammation	Proinflammatory cytokine that is involved in a wide variety of processes such as chemotaxis, differentiation, and activation of peripheral immune cells, regulation of cell growth, apoptosis, and modulation of angiostatic effects	0.456, 0.033
CXCL13	Regulation of inflammation	Chemotactic for B-lymphocytes	0.591, 0.004
CXCR5	Regulation of inflammation	Binds to B-lymphocyte chemoattractant (BLC) and is involved in B-cell migration	0.431, 0.045
FASLG	Other molecules	Immune system regulation, including activation-induced cell death of T-cells and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-induced cell death	0.634, 0.002
IFNγ	Other molecules	Potent activator of macrophages	0.443, 0.039
IL1β	Interleukins	Induces prostaglandin synthesis, neutrophil influx and activation, T-cell activation and cytokine production, and B-cell activation	0.445, 0.038
IL10	Interleukins	Major immune regulatory cytokine that acts on many cells of the immune system where it has profound anti-inflammatory functions, limiting excessive tissue disruption caused by inflammation	0.421, 0.050
IL17A	Interleukins	Proinflammatory cytokine produced by activated T-cells	0.476, 0.025
IL17F	Interleukins	Expressed by activated T-cells and has been shown to stimulate the production of several other cytokines, including IL6, IL8, and CSF2/GM_CSF	0.499, 0.018
IL33	Interleukins	Acts as a chemoattractant for Th2 cells and may function as an “alarmin,” that amplifies immune responses during tissue injury	-0.429, 0.046
KNG1	Other molecules	Mediator of inflammation	0.439, 0.041
RIPK4	Regulation of inflammation	Activator of NF-kappa-B	0.572, 0.005
TLR9	Regulation of inflammation	TLR9 is a nucleotide-sensing TLR which is activated by unmethylated cytidine-phosphate-guanosine (CpG) dinucleotides. Acts via MYD88 and TRAF6, leading to NF-kappa-B activation, cytokine secretion, and the inflammatory response	0.431, 0.046
TLR10	Regulation of inflammation	Acts via MYD88 and TRAF6, leading to NF-kappa-B activation, cytokine secretion, and the inflammatory response	0.484, 0.027
TNFSF9	Other molecules	Induces the proliferation of activated peripheral blood T-cells	0.435, 0.043

The table reports correlations of PCSK9 level with genes involved in the inflammatory response in EAT. Spearman’s correlation coefficients and corresponding values are reported.