Cardiovascular diseases are the major cause of morbidity and mortality in western societies. The most common clinical manifestations are stroke and acute myocardial infarction and in both ailments... Show moreCardiovascular diseases are the major cause of morbidity and mortality in western societies. The most common clinical manifestations are stroke and acute myocardial infarction and in both ailments atherosclerosis is the underlying culprit. Atherosclerosis is a lipid-mediated chronic inflammatory disease, which is accompanied by leukocyte infiltration into the vessel wall. The migration of leukocytes from the circulation to the vessel wall is directed by a specific class of proteins, the chemokines. Therefore it is likely that chemokines have a distinctive role in leukocyte homeostasis at specific stages of atherosclerotic disease progression and during ischemia-reperfusion injury. This thesis encompasses of number of human and experimental mouse studies on the role of chemokines in cardiovascular diseases and atherosclerosis, from which several new targets were identified. For instance it is evident that patients with high levels of the chemokine CCL3 are 10 times more likely to develop severe cardiovascular events in the future. In conclusion, the research described in this thesis provided novel candidates that might be of value for the early prediction of high risk patients. Moreover, the identified candidates may also represent valuable targets for modulation of leukocyte homeostasis in the plaque that could improve atherosclerotic plaque progression and stability. Show less
