Detection of autoantibodies in human serum assists in the diagnosis of patients with autoimmune diseases. Diagnostic antibody signatures have also been proposed for colon, pancreatic, and breast cancers. In this issue of the JCI, Cleutjens et al. describe the application of a peptide array technique toward the development of antibody biomarkers of ruptured atherosclerotic lesions (see the relat...

Fibrillar collagen is a critical component of atherosclerotic lesions. Uncontrolled collagen accumulation leads to arterial stenosis, while excessive collagen breakdown combined with inadequate synthesis weakens plaques thereby making them prone to rupture. This review discusses cellular sources of collagen synthesis in atherosclerosis, local and systemic factors modulating collagen gene expres...

We designed a novel 6-point electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) sensor with 15 combinations of permutations for the 3-D mapping and detection of metabolically active atherosclerotic lesions. Two rows of 3 stretchable electrodes circumferentially separated by 120° were mounted on an inflatable balloon for intravascular deployment and endoluminal interrogation. The configuration and 15 p...

Some observations have suggested that the extracellular group IIa phospholipase A2 (sPLA2), previously implicated in chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, may contribute to atherosclerosis. We have examined this hypothesis by studying transgenic mice expressing the human enzyme. Compared with nontransgenic littermates, the transgenic mice exhibited dramatically increased atheroscle...

Inflammatory biomarkers play a pivotal role in atherosclerotic lesions. The plasma levels of these markers are predictive of adverse outcomes such as myocardial infarction and cardiovascular death. The immune system is involved at all stages of atherogenesis via activation of monocytes/macrophages and T lymphocytes. Circulating proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines produced by these cells in...

Arecent study proposes a novel role for inhibitory guidance cues in regulating macrophage trafficking during atherosclerosis.1 The study authors demonstrate that Netrin-1, a laminin-related protein with a previously established role in axon migration and tumorigenesis, contributes to atherosclerosis by preventing the emigration of macrophages from plaque. Monocyte recruitment to areas of subend...

• Atherosclerosis, the lipid-containing intimal lesion with marked fibrosis and calcification, morphologically similar to the human lesion, has been produced consistently in numerous animal species, mostly by feeding diets high in cholesterol and fat, with and without hormonal or other dietary manipulations. However, ulceration and thrombosis, the so-called "complicated" lesions so frequent in ...

IT IS now well established that cerebral arterial insufficiency may often be caused by atheromatous occlusive lesions located in the extracranial portions of the arteries supplying the brain.'-13 Although its incidence has not been accurately determined, more extensive application of arteriography in the study of such patients suggests that this type of ocelusion occurs in more than one third o...

In order to examine their suitability for studies on coronary atherosclerosis, we evaluated the features of coronary atherosclerotic plaques in myocardial infarction-prone Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHLMI) rabbits, a spontaneous animal model for coronary atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction. Coronary segments of the hearts of 187 WHHLMI rabbits (10-29 months old) were sectioned se...

Background and Purpose—Ultrasound examination of the carotid arteries yields several quantitative measures that may serve as intermediate phenotypes in genetic studies. This study was undertaken to compare the heritabilities of 3 ultrasound measures: intima-media thickness (IMT), plaque score, and maximal stenosis. Methods—We studied 565 individuals from 154 families ascertained by an affected ...