Highlighted Articles
By Sarah Leigh (Editorial Assistant) and Steve Humphries (Editor–in-Chief)
In an attempt to reveal the mechanisms underlying the association between human Chr9p21 and coronary heart disease (CAD), Holdt et al have looked at the expression patterns of genes in this region. They find that p15INK4b, p16INK4a, p14ARF and MTAP are all expressed in vessel walls and are also induced in macrophages and foam cells in human atherosclerotic plaques, these genes therefore have the potential to be candidates for atherosclerotic lesion formation. Linsel-Nitschkea & Schunkert commend this elegant study; however, they comment that as the expression patterns are not associated with the CAD haplotype other mechanisms may also be involved and that “the mystery of the 9p21.3 locus remains wide open”.
The effect of topical administration of HDL on the adventitial side of vein grafts in ApoE-/- mice is presented in a study by Feng et al. They report that HDL attenuates vein graft atherosclerosis by increasing incorporation of circulating progenitor cells, enhancing endothelial regeneration and reducing intimal inflammation. The clinical significance of reducing atherosclerosis in vein graft regions and thereby enhancing the life time of such grafts is emphasized in a commentary by Reto Asmis; who not only points out the considerable reduction morbidity and mortality that such a strategy could allow, but also the potential financial savings that could be made from reduced graft failure.
Using a large multiethnic cohort cross-sectional association study Wong et al compare CT-measured abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) with other measures of subclinical CVD. They conclude that AAC is associated with an increased likelihood of vascular atherosclerosis at other sites. In their commentary Tison et al observe that the use of multi-modality imaging for “detecting” multi-site atherosclerosis in the study of Wong el al. helps to improve our understanding of the relationships of early atherosclerosis in different vascular beds, however, they caution that this field is in its infancy and longer a follow-up is required.
Review Articles
The complex role of angiopoietins (angpts) in the etiology of abdominal aortic aneurysms and atherosclerosis is examined in a review article by Trollope & Golledge. They conclude that further work is still required to elucidate the pathological role of angpts in vascular diseases.
In their review article Traish & Kypreos discuss in detail the potentially “atheroprotective” role of androgens in human vascular biology.
The utility of hemodynamic shear stress measurements in the assessment of coronary and extracoronary artery disease is examined in the review article by Cecchi et al. They conclude that such measurements should improve the identification of susceptible individuals and thereby enable better management of atherogenic disease.