Holzmeister J, Ludewig B, Kroczek RA, Frei U, Brause M, Fleck
E, Regitz-Zagrosek V
Functional expression of CD40 on human coronary vascular smooth
muscle cells
50th Annual Fall Conference AHA Council for High Blood Pressure
Research
Hypertens
(Sep) 28:509 1996
Increasing evidence indicates that inflammation plays a key role in the
pathogenesis of
atherosclerosis. The vascular smooth muscle cell participates in this
process in a variety of ways
and is both a launch site and a target for various cytokines and
proinflammatory mediators.
In this study, Holzmeister et al demonstrate expression of CD40, a cell
surface receptor found on
B-cells, macrophages and dendritic cells that plays a critical role in cell-
and humoral-mediated
immune responses, on cultured human aortic and coronary vascular smooth
muscle cells. Resting serum
deprived cells do not constitutively express CD40; however, after stimulation
with IFN- , TNFà, or
both expression of CD40 by these cells was strong and rapid. Moreover,
subsequent treatment with
CD40 ligand induced enhanced MHC class I and II and ICAM-1 expression.
Comment: This study suggests that during inflammation, expression and
upregulation of CD40 on
VSMC could play an important role in vascular diseases, in particular
coronary artery disease.
Perhaps these pathways are important in generating vascular lesions caused by
atherosclerotic damage
as well as injurious agents such as viruses, etc., leading to vascular smooth
muscle activation and
subsequent vascular events. Whether this activity actually induces smooth
muscle proliferation
remains to be determined.
(Robert D. Toto, M.D., University of Texas Southwestern Medical
Center)
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50th Annual Fall Conference AHA Council for High Blood Pressure
Research
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