title: Pathogenesis of vasculitis syndromes.
abstract: The pathogenesis of vasculitis is complex and involves a variety of mechanisms acting in concert to bring about necrotizing inflammation of blood vessel walls. In recent years, there has been considerable progress in dissecting the immunologic abnormalities present in specific vasculitis syndromes. The primary immunopathogenic events that initiate the process of vascular inflammation and blood vessel damage, however, are still largely unknown. Although the cause of most vasculitis syndromes remains a mystery, advances in molecular and cellular immunology have defined many of the effector mechanisms that mediate inflammatory vascular damage. In this regard, modulation of the inflammatory response by specific cytokine and adhesion molecule antagonists is now possible and may prove beneficial in the treatment of vasculitis.
authors.affiliation: Immunologic Diseases Section, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Sneller
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Fauci
mesh_terms: D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic / Q000276:immunology; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008967:Molecular Biology; D009336:Necrosis; D013577:Syndrome; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D001323:Autoantibodies; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D016207:Cytokines