title: Pro-inflammatory cytokines in acute coronary syndromes: from bench to bedside.
abstract: Cytokines are produced in a variety of tissues and regulate the expression of a number of inflammatory molecules, leading to destabilization and finally rupture of vulnerable atheromatic plaques. They also participate in the pathophysiology of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) by direct effects on myocardial contractility and apoptosis. At a clinical level, circulating cytokines have a prognostic role since they are useful markers predicting future coronary events in patients with advanced atherosclerosis and in patients after ACS.
authors.affiliation: 1st Cardiology Unit, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece. tousouli@med.uoa.gr
authors.forename: Dimitris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tousoulis
authors.forename: Charalambos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Antoniades
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koumallos
authors.forename: Christodoulos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stefanadis
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000276:immunology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D011379:Prognosis; D013577:Syndrome
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators