Clinical retrospective study on serum sCD163 and CXCL10 in the immune microenvironment of carotid atherosclerosis: association with inflammatory cytokines, immune cell subsets, and disease progression

BackgroundCarotid atherosclerosis progression involves complex immune-inflammatory responses, but the interplay within its microenvironment between the macrophage marker sCD163 and the Th1/NK cell-recruiting chemokine CXCL10 remains unclear.ObjectiveTo investigate the correlations between serum levels of sCD163 and CXCL10 and the profiles of inflammatory cytokines, immune cell subsets, and 12-month radiological progression in patients with carotid atherosclerosis.MethodsWe enrolled 82 patients with carotid atherosclerosis from January 2022 to December 2024, along with 82 healthy controls from concurrent physical examinations. All patients had undergone baseline carotid ultrasound and a subsequent ultrasound after 12 months as part of routine clinical care.

Based on these 12−month imaging results, patients were retrospectively categorized as having stable disease (n=42) or radiological progression (n=40). Clinical data were collected for all subjects, and serum levels of sCD163, CXCL10, and inflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISA.

Flow cytometry was used to analyze peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets. Correlations between sCD163, CXCL10, cytokines, and immune cell subsets were assessed using Pearson or Spearman analysis.