title: Monocytes and vascular lesions.
abstract: Current literature has shown increasing indications of the involvement of monocytes in the generation of vascular lesions and atherosclerosis. Such involvement appears to be mediated by the ability of monocytes to disrupt the integrity of blood vessel wall, initiate and accelerate blood coagulation processes and/or regulate the growth pattern of blood vessel wall cells. At least in two pathological situations, namely hypercholesterolemia and diabetes mellitus, the association between monocytes and atherogenesis is strongly indicated.
mesh_terms: D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000503:physiopathology; D009000:Monocytes / Q000502:physiology*