Chemokines and atherosclerosis

Chemokines or chemotactic cytokines represent an expanding family of struct urally related small molecular weight proteins, recognised as being respons ible for leukocyte trafficking and activation. Soon after the discovery of this class of cytokines, about a decade ago, monocyte chemoattractant prote in-1 (MCP-I) was found to bie highly expressed in human atherosclerotic les ions and postulated to be central in monocyte recruitment into the arterial wall and developing lesions. In this review, we will discuss our present k nowledge about MCP-1 and its receptor CCR2 and their role in atherogenesis. Although less well established, other chemokines such as RANTES, MIP-1 alp ha and MIP-1 beta have also been implicated in atherosclerotic lesion forma tion as are a number of more recently discovered chemokines like MCP-4, ELC and PARC. The role of these chemokines in the progression of atheroscleros is will be discussed as well as the emerging role of IL-8, mostly know for its effects on neutrophils. Particular attention will be given not only to the involvement of chemokines in the inflammatory recruitment of monocytes/ macrophages, but also to their role in the related local immune responses a nd vascular remodelling which occur during the formation of unstable athero sclerotic plaques. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserv ed.