title: Emerging role of mast cells and macrophages in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
abstract: Mast cells are essential in allergic immune responses. Recent discoveries have revealed their direct participation in cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders. Although more sophisticated mechanisms are still unknown, data from animal studies suggest that mast cells act similarly to macrophages and other inflammatory cells and contribute to human diseases through cell-cell interactions and the release of proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and proteases to induce inflammatory cell recruitment, cell apoptosis, angiogenesis, and matrix protein remodeling. Reduced cardiovascular complications and improved metabolic symptoms in animals receiving over-the-counter antiallergy medications that stabilize mast cells open another era of mast cell biology and bring new hope to human patients suffering from these conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Nanfang Hospital and Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Jia-Ming
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Guo-Ping
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000276:immunology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000276:immunology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology*; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000276:immunology