Effects of fatty acids on T cell function: role in atherosclerosis

• Published in: Nature reviews cardiology Vol. 18; no. 12; pp. 824 - 837
• Main Authors: Reilly, Nathalie A, Lutgens, Esther, Kuiper, Johan, Heijmans, Bastiaan T, Wouter Jukema, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 01.12.2021
• Subjects: Atherosclerosis; Atherosclerosis - pathology; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids - metabolism; Humans; Influence; Lymphocytes; Metabolism; Pathogenesis; T-Lymphocytes - physiology; Triglycerides
• ISSN: 1759-5002; 1759-5010
• DOI: 10.1038/s41569-021-00582-9

T cells are among the most common cell types present in atherosclerotic plaques and are increasingly being recognized as a central mediator in atherosclerosis development and progression. At the same time, triglycerides and fatty acids have re-emerged as crucial risk factors for atherosclerosis. Triglycerides and fatty acids are important components of the milieu to which the T cell is exposed from the circulation to the plaque, and increasing evidence shows that fatty acids influence T cell function. In this Review, we discuss the effects of fatty acids on four components of the T cell response - metabolism, activation, proliferation and polarization - and the influence of these changes on the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We also discuss how quiescent T cells can undergo a type of metabolic reprogramming induced by exposure to fatty acids in the circulation that influences the subsequent functions of T cells after activation, such as in atherosclerotic plaques.