S100/calgranulins EN-RAGEing the blood vessels: implications for inflammatory responses and atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis remains the leading cause of death in the western countries and represents a complex chronic inflammatory process whose regulation is dependent on a network of cytokine and chemokine signaling between key cells such as endothelial cells, monocytes, dendritic cells, lymphocytes and smooth muscle cells. This review focuses on the biology and function of S100 proteins and their receptor RAGE with respect to the multifactorial process leading to atherosclerosis, plaque rupture, and aortic wall remodeling.