Although "many roads lead to atheroma", the prevailing hypothesis at present is the Russell Ross` response-to-injury hypothesis, which states that atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease that involves several aspects of wound healing. It is noteworthy that, emphasized by the current studies of neurotrophic factors and nerve-immune cell interactions, neuroimmune mechanisms are increasingly implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of inflammatory diseases. Here we highlight the possibility that neuroimmune mechanisms, including the participation of neurotrophic factors and immune cells, may also be involved in the process of atherogenesis.
Biomedical Reviews 1999; 10: 37-44.
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