Impact of T Cells on Age-related Vascular Dysfunction: A Translational Approach

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Advanced age is the primary and most predictive risk factor for CVD. The investigators have demonstrated that there is a pronounced age-associated increase in T cell infiltration into the perivascular space around large elastic arteries and small resistance arteries. The objective of this study is t...

Advanced age is the primary and most predictive risk factor for CVD. The investigators have demonstrated that there is a pronounced age-associated increase in T cell infiltration into the perivascular space around large elastic arteries and small resistance arteries. The objective of this study is to determine if and how T cells contribute to age-related arterial inflammation and dysfunction. Although there is evidence from rodent studies that T cells play a critical role in arterial dysfunction, it is unknown whether this occurs in humans. Abatacept, a T cell co-stimulation inhibitor, is FDA approved for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Importantly, Abatacept decreases the inflammatory phenotype of circulating T cells. Abatacept will be used in older adults to be the first to determine if T cell inflammation contributes to arterial dysfunction in older adults. The investigators hypothesize that older adults treated with Abatacept will exhibit greater flow-mediated dilation, decreased pulse wave velocity, decreased or unchanged blood pressure, decreased inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in endothelial cells, decreased plasma free radicals, decreased proportion of memory T cells, and experience a shift away from a pro-inflammatory T cell phenotype compared to placebo. These results will be interpreted to mean that T cells play a role in mediating age-related arterial dysfunction in humans.

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