Evidence that dendritic cells infiltrate atherosclerotic lesions in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice

Earlier we reported that atherosclerotic lesions of apoE-deficient mice con tained cells which stained positively with anti-S-100 antibody and that cel ls exhibiting the ultrastructural features of dendritic cells were present in the aortic lesions. These observations suggested that dendritic cells mi ght be involved in mouse atherosclerosis. By employing DEC-205 and MIDC-8 a ntibodies specific for dendritic cells, the present study has established t hat dendritic cells indeed accumulate in atherosclerotic lesions of apoE-de ficient mice. Finding dendritic cells infiltrating atherosclerotic lesions in apoE-deficient mice offers the possibility of investigating the migrator y routes of dendritic cells and their involvement in T-cell activation.