Chemokines: inflammatory mediators of atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis as the underlying mechanisms of myocardial infarction, stroke and peripheral artery disease remains the major cause of morbidity and mortality in developed countries. Recent developments in vascular biology have indicated that atherosclerosis can be best characterized as a chronic inflammatory disease of the vessel wall that promotes lesion development and progression. Chemokines regulate and control these processes by orchestrating adhesive interactions of circulating blood cells with the arterial wall and their subsequent extravasation. Exhibiting a high degree of specialization and cooperation, different chemokines mediate distinct steps during the atherogenic recruitment of monocytes and T cells. This diversity of chemokine expression and function might lead to the identification of selective therapeutic targets for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.