Inflammation worsens danger due to atherosclerosis

January 23, 2009

Stockholm, Sweden - Current research suggests that inflammation increases the risk of plaque rupture in atherosclerosis. The related report by Ovchinnikova et al, "T cell activation leads to reduced collagen maturation in atherosclerotic plaques of ApoE-deficient- mice," appears in the February 2009 issue of The American Journal of Pathology.

Atherosclerosis is a disease of arterial blood vessels where fats, cholesterol, blood cells, and fibers form hardened plaques on the artery wall. These plaques restrict blood flow to tissues such as the heart and brain by narrowing the artery. Atherosclerosis can be caused by high blood pressure, high fat and high cholesterol diets, smoking, and diabetes. People with atherosclerotic plaques often show no symptoms for decades.

Atherosclerotic plaques consist of lipid cores covered by collagen fiber caps. These plaques can suddenly rupture, resulting in blood clots that completely block blood flow and lead to heart attack or stroke in otherwise healthy individuals. One potential cause of plaque rupture is the thinning of the collagen fiber cap covering the plaque.

Inflammatory cells are often observed at the site of plaque rupture. Researchers led by Dr. Göran K Hansson at the Karolinska Institute explored the role of inflammatory cells in atherosclerotic plaque rupture using an animal model of atherosclerosis with hyper-activated immune cells. They found that inflammation leads to a reduction of mature collagen in atherosclerotic plaques, leading to thinner caps that are more likely to rupture. They then identified a collagen-maturing enzyme, lysyl-oxidase (LOX), which represents a novel target in inflammation-induced plaque rupture.

The data from Ovchinnikova et al suggest "a novel mechanism by which adaptive immunity can modulate plaque stability - impairment of collagen maturation by T cell-dependent inflammation." These studies help unraveling the cause of myocardial infarction and stroke, and provide "interesting new targets for plaque stabilization therapy." In future studies, Dr. Hansson's group will explore the role of insufficient collagen maturation in human atherosclerosis. They hope that components of collagen and the LOX enzyme will become useful both to identify patients at risk for plaque rupture and to develop new therapy to prevent plaque rupture and thrombosis.

American Journal of Pathology

---

---

	Atherosclerosis by Sarah Jane George (Editor), Jason Johnson (Editor) Covering the most devastating disease in the Western world, this handbook and ready reference provides a comprehensive account of the different stages and factors in the development of the atherosclerotic plaque. Each chapter is written by experts in the field and highlights the role of specific mediators of atherosclerotic plaque development, as well as potential therapeutic targets. A large amount of this up-to-date information is conveyed by way of tables and schematic figures, in a readily comprehensible manner. A must-have for master and PhD students, researchers, MDs and lecturers in vascular biology and cardiology, as well as for academics and scientists in the pharmaceutical industry.
	Asymptomatic Atherosclerosis: Pathophysiology, Detection and Treatment (Contemporary Cardiology) by Morteza Naghavi (Editor) Despite recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of symptomatic atherosclerosis, available traditional screening methods for early detection and treatment of asymptomatic coronary artery disease are grossly insufficient and fail to identify the majority of victims prior to the onset of a life-threatening event. In Asymptomatic Atherosclerosis: Pathophysiology, Detection and Treatment, Dr. Morteza Naghavi and leading authorities from the Society for Heart Attack Prevention and Eradication (SHAPE) present a new paradigm for the screening and primary prevention of asymptomatic atherosclerosis. The text focuses on accurate, yet underutilized, measures of subclinical atherosclerosis, notably coronary artery calcium scanning and carotid intima-media thickness measurement. The authors...
	Dyslipidemia and Atherosclerosis Essentials 2009 by Christie M. Ballantyne (Author), James H. O'Keefe Jr. (Author), Antonio M. Gotto Jr. (Author) The World's Leading Experts Provide all the 'Essentials' Needed to Manage Patients in the Office, on the Ward, and in the Intensive Care Unit! Written by key opinion leaders in the field of cardiology, Dyslipidemia Essentials integrates the latest clinical guidelines and trials into a practical step-by-step guide to the management of dyslipidemia. Important clinical trials, common management pitfalls, and other cardiovascular risk reduction measures are also emphasized. Topics include: Step-by-step guide to intensive LDL lowering; NCEP ATP III and AHA/ACC guideline Updates; Treatment of low HDL cholesterol and elevated triglyceride; 73 dyslipidemia trials and 17 drug summaries
	Atherosclerosis: Experimental Methods and Protocols (Methods in Molecular Medicine) by Angela F. Drew (Editor) In Atherosclerosis: Experimental Methods and Protocols, Angela Drew and a panel of experts have assembled a comprehensive collection of traditional and cutting-edge techniques for investigating this disease and its possible treatments. Each readily reproducible method includes step-by-step instructions and practical information regarding sample collection, the choice of animal model system, experimental design, and practical data analysis techniques. Comprehensive and richly detailed, Atherosclerosis: Experimental Methods and Protocols enables all biomedical investigators to select those optimized techniques that may be most fruitfully used to study the development, progression, and treatment of atherosclerotic lesions today.
	Inflammation and Atherosclerosis by Georg Wick (Editor), Cecilia Grundtman (Editor) It has been known for over 150 years that hallmarks of inflammation can be observed in the wall of atherosclerotic vessels. It was, however, not clear if this inflammation is the cause or the consequence of atherogenesis. More recently, it has become evident that inflammation mediated both by innate and adaptive immunity is instrumental even in the earliest stages of the development of atherosclerotic lesions, i.e., that it plays an important pathogenetic role. In this volume, international experts in the field discuss the pathogenetic, diagnostic, preventive and possible therapeutic relevance of inflammation in atherogenesis. This book is intended for researchers and physicians in the fields of vascular biology, immunology and atherosclerosis.
	Biochemistry of Atherosclerosis (Advances in Biochemistry in Health and Disease) by Sukhinder C. Kaur (Editor) This book covers many aspects of atherogenesis, with particular emphasis on lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. It includes all aspects of the regulation of cholesterol homeostasis and the importance of each pathway. Also explored are the roles of nuclear hormone receptors on lipid and lipoprotein metabolism and their complex roles in atherogenesis. The book further discusses how genetic studies can help understand the complexities that mediate these aspects of atherogenesis.
	CATHETER-BASED TREATMENT OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS: Options for effective percutaneous intervention are plentiful From the initial balloon catheters, percutaneous ... protection devices. (Postgraduate Medicine) by JTE Multimedia Hopes for successful utilization, minimal complications, and improved patient comfort ride on interventional cardiology. A variety of devices are available or in development for percutaneous treatment of atherosclerotic disease. Here, Dr Khalil reviews devices with a long history in cardiology as well as newer arrivals and discusses their best-use parameters and appropriate application. He also summarizes the outcome data on their use. Original Publication Date: March 2004
	C-REACTIVE PROTEIN AS A NOVEL BIOMARKER: Reactant can flag atherosclerosis and help predict cardiac events Exploring the role of this acute phase response ... disease. (Postgraduate Medicine) by JTE Multimedia C-reactive protein (CRP) is a relatively nonspecific marker of inflammation. However, it can be used to monitor the severity and progression of some well-defined cardiovascular diseases. For example, it can predict serious events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who are hospitalized with acute coronary syndrome, myocardial infarction (MI), or advanced peripheral vascular disease. In this article, the authors review the role of CRP in the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of various forms of ischemic and inflammatory cardiovascular disease. Original Publication Date: December 2003
	Oophorectomy Increases Risk for Atherosclerosis.(Brief Article): An article from: Family Practice News by Doug Brunk (Author) This digital document is an article from Family Practice News, published by International Medical News Group on February 1, 2001. The length of the article is 348 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation Details Title: Oophorectomy Increases Risk for Atherosclerosis.(Brief Article) Author: Doug Brunk Publication: Family Practice News (Magazine/Journal) Date: February 1, 2001 Publisher: International Medical News Group Volume: 31 Issue: 3 Page: 25 Article Type: Brief Article Distributed by Thomson...
	Metabolic syndrome predicts subclinical atherosclerosis in adults.(Across Specialties): An article from: Clinical Psychiatry News by Bruce Jancin (Author) This digital document is an article from Clinical Psychiatry News, published by Thomson Gale on July 1, 2005. The length of the article is 539 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation Details Title: Metabolic syndrome predicts subclinical atherosclerosis in adults.(Across Specialties) Author: Bruce Jancin Publication: Clinical Psychiatry News (Magazine/Journal) Date: July 1, 2005 Publisher: Thomson Gale Volume: 33 Issue: 7 Page: 59(1) Distributed by Thomson...