CHEMOKINES AND THEIR ROLE IN CARDIOVASCULAR-DISEASES

Leukocyte infiltration into inflammatory or injured tissues requires a variety of cell-associated and soluble factors that mediate the commu nications between circulating leukocytes and vascular cells. During th e past decade, a superfamily of polypeptide leukocyte chemoattractants known as chemokines has been identified and demonstrated to selective ly induce rapid endothelial cell adhesion and transmigration of leukoc yte subpopulations. Chemokines are produced by virtually every mammali an somatic cell type in response to inflammatory and immunologic stimu li and have been detected in tissues of numerous disease states charac terized by infiltration of distinct leukocyte subsets. Chemokines bind and activate cell surface receptors that belong to the seven transmem brane, G protein-coupled receptor superfamily. Several chemokine recep tors have been identified as fusion cofactors for human immunodeficien cy virus type 1 (HIV-1). Chemokines have also been shown to play a cri tical role in atherosclerosis and ischemic reperfusion injury. As chem okine research is a rapidly expanding area, it is the purpose of this brief review to summarize recent progress in the field and to focus on the involvement of chemokines in cardiovascular diseases. Published 1 998, Elsevier Science Inc.