Inflammation and plaque vulnerability

Atherosclerosis is a maladaptive, nonresolving chronic inflammatory disease that occurs at sites of blood flow disturbance. The disease usually remains silent until a breakdown of integrity at the arterial surface triggers the formation of a thrombus. By occluding the lumen, the thrombus or emboli detaching from it elicits ischaemic symptoms that may be life-threatening. Two types of surface damage can cause atherothrombosis: plaque rupture and endothelial erosion. Plaque rupture is thought to be caused by loss of mechanical stability, often due to reduced tensile strength of the collagen cap surrounding the plaque. Therefore, plaques with reduced collagen content are thought to be more vulnerable than those…

• EC
  European Commission
• SF
  Stiftelsen för Strategisk Forskning
• H
  Hjärt-Lungfonden
• SL
  Stockholms Läns Landsting
• V
  Vetenskapsrådet
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Awards: HL075662, HL107497, R01 HL080472