Morphometric investigation of Th1 and Th2 cells in the vessel wall in human atherogenesis
The aim of the study was immunomorphological and morphometric analysis of immune inflammatory cells in aortic wall during human atherosclerosis. It was found that in atherosclerotic lesions, from the earliest stages, there was accumulation of Th1 lymphocytes and stellate cells expressing INF. Pro-atherogenic Th1-mediated immune response developed while the number of Th2 cells synthesizing anti-inflammatory IL-4 was falling. With progression of atherosclerosis, especially in the initial stages, the content of macrophages in intima aortae greatly increases, and most of macrophages are transformed into foam cells. The observed changes are likely to be the vascular wall response to the deposition of variously modified low density lipoproteins. The balance between pro-and anti-inflammatory immune cells in the foci of inflammation has an important influence on the development of atherosclerosis, its activation and progression