Chemokines in vascular pathology (Review)

Abstract

Clinical complications of atherosclerosis are major causes of morbidity and mortality in Western societies. Recent evidence suggests that formation of atherosclerotic lesions is an inflammatory process involving multiple molecular pathways. Chemokine-mediated mechanisms are potent regulators of such processes by orchestrating the interactions of inflammatory cellular components of the peripheral blood with cellular components of the arterial wall. The increasing evidence supporting the role of chemokine-pathways in atherosclerosis renders chemokine ligands and their receptors potential therapeutic targets. In the following review, we intend to highlight the special structural and functional features of each chemokine sub-family in respect to their role in atherosclerosis and discuss to what extent such knowledge could be applied in diagnostic, prognostic or therapeutic practices.