Assoc. Prof. Priv.-Doz. Dr. Walter Speidl

work address:

Universitätsklinik für Innere Medizin II

Abteilung für Kardiologie

Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Wien

e-mail: walter.speidl@muv.ac.at

know-how and research interests:

My group focuses on the innate immune system in cardiovascular disease and in critical ill patients. The main focus is the role of monocytes, macrophages and granulocytes in atherosclerosis, myocardial reperfusion injury and systemic inflammatory response syndrome. We study the effects of cardiovascular drugs on inflammation and thrombosis, the interaction between lipid subfractions and monocytes subtypes and the role of mitochondrial DNA and activation of TLR-9 in various diseases.

Research topic (general title):

Inflammation and thrombosis in cardiovascular disease

Techniques and infrastructure of the research group:

Isolation, characterization and cultivation of human primary cells (monocytes, macrophages, granulocytes, endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells from various vascular beds), subtype analysis of human monocytes and macrophages by FACS, adhesion assays to study leukocyte-endothelial interaction under static and flow conditions, access to human tissue (atherosclerotic plaques, heart tissue, adipose tissue), diagnostic and analytical tools (immunohistochemistry, RealTime-PCR, ELISA, Western Blot), Apo E-/- mice as model of atherosclerosis, rat models of myocardial infarction

5 selected publications:

1. Thaler B, Hohensinner PJ, Krychtiuk KA, Matzneller P, Koller L, Brekalo M, Maurer G, Huber K, Zeitlinger M, Jilma B, Wojta J, Speidl WS. Differential in vivo activation of monocyte subsets during low-grade inflammation through experimental endotoxemia in humans. Scientific reports. 2016;6:30162

2. Krychtiuk KA, Lenz M, Koller L, Honeder MC, Wutzlhofer L, Zhang C, Chi L, Maurer G, Niessner A, Huber K, Wojta J, Heinz G, Speidl WS. Monocyte subset distribution is associated with mortality in critically ill patients. Thrombosis and haemostasis. 2016;116:949-957

3. Krychtiuk KA, Watzke L, Kaun C, Buchberger E, Hofer-Warbinek R, Demyanets S, Pisoni J, Kastl SP, Rauscher S, Groger M, Aliabadi A, Zuckermann A, Maurer G, de Martin R, Huber K, Wojta J, Speidl WS. Levosimendan exerts anti-inflammatory effects on cardiac myocytes and endothelial cells in vitro. Thrombosis and haemostasis. 2015;113:350-362

4. Krychtiuk KA, Ruhittel S, Hohensinner PJ, Koller L, Kaun C, Lenz M, Bauer B, Wutzlhofer L, Draxler DF, Maurer G, Huber K, Wojta J, Heinz G, Niessner A, Speidl WS. Mitochondrial DNA and toll-like receptor-9 are associated with mortality in critically ill patients. Critical care medicine. 2015;43:2633-2641

5. Speidl WS, Kastl SP, Hutter R, Katsaros KM, Kaun C, Bauriedel G, Maurer G, Huber K, Badimon JJ, Wojta J. The complement component c5a is present in human coronary lesions in vivo and induces the expression of mmp-1 and mmp-9 in human macrophages in vitro. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. 2011;25:35-44