From Systemic Inflammation to Myocardial Fibrosis

Systemic inflammation after myocardial infarction.

The role of cardiac fibroblasts in the transition from inflammation to fibrosis following myocardial infarction.

Cardiac fibroblasts (CF) play a pivotal role in the repair and remodeling of the heart that occur following myocardial infarction (MI). The transition through the inflammatory, granulation and maturation phases of infarct healing is driven by cellular responses to local levels of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors that fluctuate in a temporal and spatial manner. In the acute inflammatory ...

The Biological Basis for Cardiac Repair After Myocardial Infarction: From Inflammation to Fibrosis.

In adult mammals, massive sudden loss of cardiomyocytes after infarction overwhelms the limited regenerative capacity of the myocardium, resulting in the formation of a collagen-based scar. Necrotic cells release danger signals, activating innate immune pathways and triggering an intense inflammatory response. Stimulation of toll-like receptor signaling and complement activation induces express...

Hypertensive myocardial fibrosis and diastolic dysfunction: another model of inflammation?

Excessive myocardial fibrosis deteriorates diastolic function in hypertensive hearts. Involvement of macrophages is suggested in fibrotic process in various diseased situations. We sought to examine the role of macrophages in myocardial remodeling and cardiac dysfunction in pressure-overloaded hearts. In Wistar rats with suprarenal aortic constriction, pressure overload induced perivascular mac...

Systemic Atherosclerotic Inflammation Following Acute Myocardial Infarction: Myocardial Infarction Begets Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND Preclinical data suggest that an acute inflammatory response following myocardial infarction (MI) accelerates systemic atherosclerosis. Using combined positron emission and computed tomography, we investigated whether this phenomenon occurs in humans. METHODS AND RESULTS Overall, 40 patients with MI and 40 with stable angina underwent thoracic 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose combined positr...