Immunologic aspects of vessel injury and thrombosis

A large and rapidly growing quantity of information gained from both clinical and experimental observation strongly indicate that perturbations of the immune system can contribute to the pathogenesis of vessel injury and thrombosis. This is, in part, because the immune system functions to amplify and diversify the host response to a given stimulus often resulting in activation of associated pathways such as the hemostatic system and modulation of endothelial cell function. Studying the pathogenesis of arteriosclerosis and its complications, as well as other vascular disease, from an immunologic or immunopathologic perspective may provide a better understanding of why some some individuals appear to be at greater risk of cardiovascular disease than others, a more precise identification of the mechanisms leading to the expression of increased risk, and because of the structural specificity implicit in immunologic reactions, identification of those environmental factors responsible for inciting such immunologic perturbation. It is conceivable that identification of at least some of the risk factors associated with the 50% of deaths from heart attack that are not associated with known risk factors may be achieved through a consideration of the role of immunologic mechanisms in the pathogenesis cardiovascular disease.