A new immunological mechanism in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease has been presented in a study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. The study is being published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, and also indicates a possible treatment method for these diseases.
Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory processwhere lipidsin the form of LDL cholesterol (‘bad cholesterol’) are stored in the artery walls. The activation of the immune system in the form of T-cells, among others, plays a vital role, particularly for rupturing the atherosclerotic plaques which, the primary cause of myocardial infarction and stroke.
LDL is only taken up in the artery wall after modification, a process where oxidation is one probable underlying cause. Enzymes in the artery walls can also modify LDL making it inflammatory. Most basic scientific studies in the field are based mouse models with genetic changes as mice cannot develop arteriosclerosis or cardiovascular…
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