Immune and inflammatory mechanisms mediate cardiovascular diseases from head to toe
Peter Libby, Ziad Mallat, Cornelia M. Weyand
Abstract
Practitioners have long recognized the involvement of inflammation in certain acute cardiovascular diseases such as endocarditis, myocarditis, and pericarditis. Attention to the participation of immune and inflammatory mechanisms in chronic cardiovascular diseases has generally lagged. Yet, these pathways contribute to a broad swath of clinically important cardiovascular conditions, both acute and chronic (Figure Understanding of these complex mechanisms can aid specialists in cardiovascular research and practice immeasurably by providing new concepts and illuminating novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. The collection of essays presented in this focused issue of Cardiovascular Research aims to promote this goal.