title: Chemokines and Heart Disease: A Network Connecting Cardiovascular Biology to Immune and Autonomic Nervous Systems.
abstract: Among the chemokines discovered to date, nineteen are presently considered to be relevant in heart disease and are involved in all stages of cardiovascular response to injury. Chemokines are interesting as biomarkers to predict risk of cardiovascular events in apparently healthy people and as possible therapeutic targets. Moreover, they could have a role as mediators of crosstalk between immune and cardiovascular system, since they seem to act as a "working-network" in deep linkage with the autonomic nervous system. In this paper we will describe the single chemokines more involved in heart diseases; then we will present a comprehensive perspective of them as a complex network connecting the cardiovascular system to both the immune and the autonomic nervous systems. Finally, some recent evidences indicating chemokines as a possible new tool to predict cardiovascular risk will be described.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dusi
authors.affiliation: Center for Cardiac Arrhythmias of Genetic Origin, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20095 Milan, Italy; Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghidoni
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiology, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, University and Civil Hospital of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ravera
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy; Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaetano M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: De Ferrari
authors.affiliation: Center for Cardiac Arrhythmias of Genetic Origin, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20095 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Calvillo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018925:Chemokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D018925:Chemokines