Vulnerable Plaque
Authors: Guha Krishnaswamy, David S. Chi, Jim Kelley
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1999)

Letters7 September 1999Vulnerable PlaqueGuha Krishnaswamy, MD, David S. Chi, PhD, and Jim Kelley, PhDGuha Krishnaswamy, MDJames H. Quillen College of Medicine; East Tennessee State University; Johnson City, TN 37614 (Krishnaswamy)James H. Quillen College of Medicine; East Tennessee State University; Johnson City, TN 37614 (Chi)James H. Quillen College of Medicine; East Tennessee State University; Johnson City, TN 37614 (Kelley)Search for more papers by this author, David S. Chi, PhDJames H. Quillen College of Medicine; East Tennessee State University; Johnson City, TN 37614 (Krishnaswamy)James H. Quillen College of Medicine; East Tennessee State University; Johnson City, TN 37614 (Chi)James H. Quillen College of Medicine; East Tennessee State University; Johnson City, TN 37614 (Kelley)Search for more papers by this author, and Jim Kelley, PhDJames H. Quillen College of Medicine; East Tennessee State University; Johnson City, TN 37614 (Krishnaswamy)James H. Quillen College of Medicine; East Tennessee State University; Johnson City, TN 37614 (Chi)James H. Quillen College of Medicine; East Tennessee State University; Johnson City, TN 37614 (Kelley)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-131-5-199909070-00015 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Kullo and colleagues have presented an excellent review of the cellular and molecular aspects of a vulnerable plaque (1). Their Table 1 mentions the cellular composition of rupture-prone plaques and lists macrophages, T cells, and mast cells. However, although their discussion involves the role of macrophages, T cells, and smooth-muscle cells, little attention was paid to the potential role of mast cells in plaque instability or rupture.Kaartinen and colleagues (2) demonstrated very clearly that mast cells localize to areas of erosion or rupture sites of atheromas, and these cells expressed tumor necrosis factor-α. Mast cells have ...References1. Kullo IJ, Edwards WD, Schwartz RS. Vulnerable plaque: pathobiology and clinical implications. Ann Intern Med. 1998;129:1050-60. LinkGoogle Scholar2. Kaartinen M, Penttila A, Kovanen PT. Mast cells in rupture-prone areas of human coronary atheromas produce and store TNF-α. Circulation. 1996;94:2787-92. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Wang Y, Lindstedt KA, Kovanen PT. Mast cell granule remnants carry LDL into smooth muscle cells of the synthetic phenotype and induce their conversion into foam cells. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 1995;15:801-10. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Johnson JL, Jackson CL, Angelini GD, George SJ. Activation of matrix-degrading metalloproteinases by mast cell proteases in atherosclerotic plaques. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 1998;18:1707-15. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Krishnaswamy G, Lakshman T, Miller AR, Srikanth S, Hall K, Huang SK, et al . Multifunctional cytokine expression by human mast cells: regulation by T cell membrane contact and glucocorticoids. J Interferon Cytokine Res. 1997;17:167-76. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: James H. Quillen College of Medicine; East Tennessee State University; Johnson City, TN 37614 (Krishnaswamy)James H. Quillen College of Medicine; East Tennessee State University; Johnson City, TN 37614 (Chi)James H. Quillen College of Medicine; East Tennessee State University; Johnson City, TN 37614 (Kelley) PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoVulnerable Plaque: Pathobiology and Clinical Implications Iftikhar J. Kullo , William D. Edwards , and Robert S. Schwartz Vulnerable Plaque James C. Doherty and Marvin A. McMillen Vulnerable Plaque Lanfranco de' Clari Vulnerable Plaque Iftikhar J. Kullo , William D. Edwards , and Robert S. Schwartz Metrics Cited ByAtherosclerosisCytokines and the pathogenesis of atherosclerosisThe molecular role of mast cells in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease 7 September 1999Volume 131, Issue 5Page: 392-393KeywordsCellsCytokinesMast cellsNecrosisProtease inhibitor therapyProtease inhibitorsProteasesProteinsShouldersT cells Issue Published: 7 September 1999 CopyrightCopyright © 1999 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...