The thrombotic process in atherogenesis

The Workshop on the Thrombotic Process in Atherogenesis has explored many aspects of this emerging field. In view of current interest and significant new developments, it was considered timely to hold a broad-based, in-depth meeting of scientists representing the disciplines involved. In a series of conceptual review papers, the subject is placed in perspective, while other reviews provide background for the individual workshop sessions, which concentrate on recent work. Special note should be taken of an extensive survey on endothelium, the focal point of interaction between the constituents of the blood and vascular wall. Over a number of years, much evidence has accrued from experimental studies and from observations in man that thrombi can contribute to the growth of atherosclerotic plaques, and at times, may initiate the lesions. The organization and incorporation of thrombi into atherosclerotic plaques is a direct, clear-cut mechanism for plaque growth. This concept has not previously been given substantial recognition as a factor in atherogenesis, in part because of the paradoxical nature of the process: recent thrombi that have formed on established atherosclerotic lesions are readily identified; but once formed, the thrombi may undergo organization and conversion by the arterial wall into plaque tissue no longer recognizable as thrombotic in origin. The frequency, and consequently the morbidity and mortality, of arterial thrombosis alone has not been subject to accurate assessment for the very reason that thrombi intimately contribute to plaque formation and the progression of atherosclerosis. In contrast to deep vein thrombosis, which is often acute and frequently produces overt manifestations, arterial thrombosis may be chronic, extending over many years while plaques grow silently. Indeed, the question should be raised as to the desirability of considering thromboatherosclerosis as a distinct entity. Collected data indicate a definite contribution to plaque growth by thrombi, but many fundamental gaps remain to be filled before proper attention can be given to environmental risk factors and to therapeutic and prophylactic approaches. Among the several outstanding questions to be addressed are the following: What is the relative contribution of thrombosis to plaque growth? When in the life of the individual and of the plaque does the process begin? Are there subsets of the population in which thrombosis is, in fact, the dominant factor? Another

שנה

1978

שפה

English

הוצאה

Plenum Press

מהדורות

1

עמודים

546

ISBN

9780306400223

מקור הנתונים: Wikidata