title: Metabolic syndrome: the danger signal in atherosclerosis.
abstract: Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by infiltration of blood vessels by lipids and leukocytes. There is a growing body of evidence that among risk factors that promote atherosclerosis, the metabolic syndrome is a powerful and prevalent predictor of cardiovascular events. The systemic inflammatory process associated with the metabolic syndrome has numerous deleterious effects that promote plaque activation, which is responsible for clinical events. Interactions between the innate immune system with lipid-derived products seem to play a major role in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis in relation with the metabolic syndrome. The multiple links among adipose tissue, the vascular wall, and the immune system are the topics of this review, which examines the roles of oxidized low-density lipoprotein, inflammatory cytokines, and adipokines in triggering and perpetuating a danger signal response that promotes the development of atherosclerosis. Furthermore, therapeutic options that specifically target the metabolic syndrome components are reviewed in light of recent developments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Centre de Recherche de l'Hôpital Laval/Institut de Cardiologie de Québec, Québec, Canada. patrick.mathieu@chg.ulaval.ca
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mathieu
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pibarot
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Després
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000503:physiopathology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000502:physiology; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity / Q000502:physiology; D020738:Leptin / Q000502:physiology; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D047493:PPAR alpha / Q000502:physiology; D047494:PPAR delta / Q000502:physiology; D047492:Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors / Q000502:physiology; D051116:Receptors, Scavenger / Q000502:physiology; D052243:Resistin / Q000502:physiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D020738:Leptin; D047493:PPAR alpha; D047494:PPAR delta; D047492:Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors; D051116:Receptors, Scavenger; D052243:Resistin; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; D002097:C-Reactive Protein