BACKGROUND: CD3(+) CD56(+) natural killer T (NKT)-like cells are a subset of T cells characterized by expression of NK receptors and potent antitumour activity. It has also been suggested that they have a role in @entity792 , and levels of NKT-like cells are elevated in @entity1 with @entity301 . OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether high levels of CD3(+) CD56(+) NKT-like cells are associated with an increased incidence of @entity65 and a lower incidence of @entity5 . METHODS: This was a prospective study including 700 subjects participating in the baseline investigation of the Malm   Diet and @entity5 study between 1991 and 1994. Leucocytes obtained at the baseline investigation and stored at -140    C were thawed and CD3(+) CD56(+) cells analysed by flow cytometry. The incidence rates of @entity5 and coronary events during a mean follow-up of 15  years were determined through national registers. RESULTS: Subjects in the lowest tertile of interferon (IFN)-y-expressing @entity404 (+) CD56(+) cells were found to have an increased risk of incidence of coronary events (log-rank test: P  <  0.05). This association remained significant after controlling for age, sex, smoking, body mass index, @entity101 , @entity6 and the @entity1198 /Th2 and @entity1198 /Treg cell ratios in a Cox proportional hazards regression model (hazard ratio 1.98, 95% confidence interval 1.24-3.16), but not when the LDL/HDL ratio was included in the model. There were no associations between CD3(+) CD56(+) NKT-like cells and incident @entity5 . CONCLUSIONS: The present results could not confirm the hypothesis that low levels of CD3(+) CD56(+) NKT-like cells are associated with a higher incidence of @entity5 and a lower incidence of @entity65 . However, we found that low levels of IFN-y-expressing CD3(+) @entity404 (+) CD56(+) NKT-like cells were associated with an increased incidence of coronary events and that this association may be dependent on lipoproteins.

XXXX (+) CD56(+) natural killer T-like cells secreting interferon-y are associated with incident coronary events.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity404 :: ('920', 'Gene') :: ['CD4'] @entity101 :: ('MESH:D006973', 'Disease') :: ['hypertension'] @entity6 :: ('MESH:D003920', 'Disease') :: ['diabetes'] @entity301 :: ('MESH:D003327', 'Disease') :: ['coronary disease'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['cancer', 'Cancer'] @entity1198 :: ('51497', 'Gene') :: ['Th1'] @entity792 :: ('MESH:D001327', 'Disease') :: ['autoimmune disease'] @entity65 :: ('MESH:D002318', 'Disease') :: ['cardiovascular disease']
@entity404 :: (920,Gene) :: ['CD4']
