Modified LDL-trigger of atherosclerosis and inflammation in the arterial intima

Atherosclerosis is characterized by chronic inflammation of an injured inti ma. The pathological processes are initiated by accumulation of morphologic ally distinct, modified forms of LDL, and followed by cellular infiltration and foam cell formation. Activated intimal cells secrete enzymes and agent s capable of modifying LDL, and the modified lipids of LDL, in turn, are ab le to activate intimal cells and to trigger various inflammatory signals. T hese processes can initiate and maintain a vicious circle in the intima and lead to lesion progression. In this review, we focus on the LDL modificati ons relevant to the initial lipid accumulation and discuss their pro-inflam matory effects.