title: Leukocyte behavior in atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and heart failure.
abstract: Cardiovascular diseases claim more lives worldwide than any other. Etiologically, the dominant trajectory involves atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory process of lipid-rich lesion growth in the vascular wall that can cause life-threatening myocardial infarction (MI). Those who survive MI can develop congestive heart failure, a chronic condition of inadequate pump activity that is frequently fatal. Leukocytes (white blood cells) are important participants at the various stages of cardiovascular disease progression and complication. This Review will discuss leukocyte function in atherosclerosis, MI, and heart failure.
authors: Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Simches Research Building, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA. fswirski@mgh.harvard.edu
authors: Filip K
authors: FK
authors: Swirski
authors: Matthias
authors: M
authors: Nahrendorf
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity; D000818:Animals; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*