In experiments using mouse knock outs, Shemesh et al were able to demonstrate that vascular wall resident cells are the main targets for the pro-atherogenic effects of bone marrow-derived interleukin-1 through interleukin-1 receptor. These findings are put into context by Grebe & Latz in their invited commentary. Whilst they remark that the interplay between activated myeloid cells and resident vessel wall cells appears to be very important for the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, they comment that because IL-1 is involved in many other systems it may not prove to be a suitable target for pharmaceutical interventions.
Makowski et al report the success of their study, which set out to test the feasibility of using molecular magnetic resonance imaging to (MRI) to detect fibrin in vivo using a fibrin-targeted contrast-agent (FTCA). The relevance of this technique in allowing vulnerable plaques to be identified and quantified is outlined by the authors and discussed in an invited commentary by Clofent-Sanchez et al. However, although Clofent-Sanchez et al ...
TovábbAnalysis of 258 patients admitted to hospital with unstable angina and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (UA & NSTEMI), enabled Hashimoto et al to observe a significant association between elevated high-mobility group protein box 1 (HMGB1) and cardiovascular mortality rates. They go on to propose that HMGB1 levels could be used in early risk stratification of such patients. In their invited commentary Peter & Bobik recognize ...
TovábbAGING
In their study, Kasai et al report a beneficial prognostic influence of probucol treatment on patients with coronary artery disease. Kajinami & Akao commend this finding in their invited commentary. However, they emphasize that although this is the largest and longest lasting study of the effect of probucal in such patients, the encouraging results should be interpreted with caution, taking into account the limitations of a single center ...
TovábbAging
In their research article Koivistoinen et al assess the relative value of pulse wave velocity (PWV) in relation to non-invasive measures of early atherosclerosis (brachial flow-mediated dilation [FMD], carotid intima-media thickness [IMT]) and local arterial stiffness (carotid artery distensibility). They conclude that PWV reflects a different aspect of vascular damage to FMD or IMT in young adults, whereas in older adults PWV and IMT may both to...
TovábbIn a meta-analysis of 54,336 patients, Inaba et al. compared the relative accuracy of carotid plaque and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) measurements for the prediction of coronary artery disease (CAD) events. They show that ultrasound assessment of carotid plaque gives a higher diagnostic accuracy for the prediction of future CAD events than did CIMT. David Spence commends this study in his invited commentary and emphasises the value of ...
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