# Core C: UVA Cardiovascular Cohort

> **NIH NIH P01** · LA JOLLA INSTITUTE FOR IMMUNOLOGY · 2020 · $226,204

## Abstract

ABSTRACT (CORE C: UVA Cardiovascular Cohort)
The effect of immune cell variations on atherosclerosis in humans represents a poorly understood area of
atherogenesis and possible atheroprotection. Careful phenotypic description is critical for translation of well-
proven basic science hypotheses into human subjects as humans have marked genetic and phenotypic
variation compared to murine models of cardiovascular disease. Large well-phenotyped cohorts with banked
specimens, such as the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), allow for important associative
discoveries linking atherosclerosis with immunity. However, these cohorts do not provide large volume
samples critical for follow-on functional studies that have the ability to define the mechanisms underlying the
association. The UVA Cardiovascular Cohort will provide for this important aspect by obtaining equivalent
phenotyping as in MESA in terms of coronary artery calcium (CAC) measurements and clinical variables
associated with cardiovascular disease on subjects that have additional peripheral blood mononuclear cells
(PBMCs) banked for follow-on studies. The Core will provide a subset of patients enrolled from the cardiac
catheterization laboratories who undergo cardiac catheterization for a variety of reasons, thus providing a
population with a wide range of disease burden so that follow on studies can be performed in subjects with no
disease to severe disease. Cardiovascular risk groups will be assigned based on CAC measurements,
Framingham risk scores, and MESA Risk Scores in accordance with methodology used in MESA. Additionally,
all subjects will have quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) reported using the Genisini score as a second
measurement of disease burden. The Core will provide three specific, critical functions to this PPG; 1.) provide
human cells for functional assays based on initial CyTOF and RNAseq studies provided by the MESA cohort
for all projects, 2.) provide large numbers of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) for functional studies
in immune cells that are in low abundance in the circulation for all projects, and 3.) provide plasma to Project 2
and 4) perform specific assays for functional analysis of B cells for Projects 2 and 3. Thus, Core 3 will not only
be critical to further understanding the associative mechanisms uncovered in MESA, but also to advancing
murine findings studied in each individual project into the human model. This Core will allow for incorporation
of individual project goals and discoveries into a “common model” moving beyond multiple murine models and
advancing knowledge into the ultimate target model: the human.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9940770
- **Project number:** 5P01HL136275-04
- **Recipient organization:** LA JOLLA INSTITUTE FOR IMMUNOLOGY
- **Principal Investigator:** Angela M Taylor
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $226,204
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** — → —

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9940770

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9940770, Core C: UVA Cardiovascular Cohort (5P01HL136275-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9940770. Licensed CC0.

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