Familial hypercholesterolaemia and thymic ageing in a Chinese cohort
Authors' conclusion
Hypercholesterolaemia was associated with reduced thymic output, while statin-treated patients showed partially preserved circulating CD4+ RTE levels, supporting integrated metabolic and immunologic strategies for FH management.
Study context
- Population
- Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) patients diagnosed by the Dutch Lipid Clinic Network criteria, and age-matched healthy controls, Chinese cohort562 heterozygous FH patients and 295 age-matched healthy controls · FH patients 562 · Treatment-naïve FH patients 236 · FH patients on lipid-lowering therapy 326 · Healthy controls (HCs) 295
- Participants
- 236 / 326 / 295
- Exposure
- Treatment-naïve FH patients vs HCs; statin-treated vs statin-naïve FH patients
- Treatment-naïve FH patientsn = 236
- FH patients on lipid-lowering therapyn = 326
- HCsn = 295
- Outcome
- Percentage of CD4+ RTE among naïve CD4+ T cells
Methodological detailsage-matched healthy controls
- Age-matched healthy controls
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Significantly reduced in treatment-naïve FH patients compared with HCs, particularly in those aged 18-30 years or carrying highly pathogenic LDLR variants
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
T-cell receptor excision circles in naïve CD4+ and CD8+ T cells
- Supported reduced thymic output in both CD4+ and CD8+ naïve T cells
Age at reaching the median CD4+ RTE percentage of HCs (quantified thymic ageing)
- FH patients reached the median CD4+ RTE percentage of HCs earlier
- ∼6 years
- Males, FH vs HCs
- 19.12 vs 25.51 years
- Females, FH vs HCs
- 19.18 vs 25.58 years
T-cell receptor beta repertoire
- FH patients showed skewing towards high-frequency T-cell receptor beta clones
Circulating CD4+ RTE levels, statin-treated vs statin-naïve FH patients
- Higher in statin-treated FH patients, particularly females, than in statin-naïve FH patients
Original publication
Familial hypercholesterolaemia and thymic ageing in a Chinese cohort. Eur Heart J. Published 20 October 2026. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it