Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and coronary artery disease.
The designation of atherosclerosis as a chronic inflammatory process represents an exciting and logical paradigm shift for cardiologists. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) plays an important role in the recruitment and activation of monocytes and thus in the development of atherosclerosis. Enhanced MCP-1 expression has been detected in macrophages, endothelial cells, and vascular smooth muscle cells in the atheromatous plaque. Activation of macrophages by MCP-1 also appears to be involved in the vulnerability of the plaque. Indeed, circulating MCP-1 levels are elevated in patients with acute myocardial infarction and in those with unstable angina, but not in patients with stable angina. Production of MCP-1 and macrophage accumulation are also observed after coronary angioplasty or grafting, indicating that MCP-1 expression may be related not only to instability of atheromatous plaques, but also to the formation of restenotic lesions. The development of therapeutic drugs for atherosclerosis targeted specially against MCP-1 may be useful in the prevention of plaque formation and future myocardial infarction.
Ikeda
Uichi
U
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi, Japan. uikeda@jichi.ac.jp
Matsui
Keiji
K
Murakami
Yoshiaki
Y
Shimada
Kazuyuki
K
D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000097:blood*; D023903:Coronary Restenosis / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008262:Macrophage Activation; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic
D015415:Biomarkers; D018932:Chemokine CCL2