Inflammation and the Vulnerable Plaque Sudden cardiac death remains the leading cause of mortality in industrialized societies, outpacing all cancer related deaths combined. The majority of sudden cardiac deaths arise from acute myocardial infarction secondary to intracoronary artery thromboses. Remarkably, the culprit lesions involved are typically not flow-limiting stenoses,1,2 but rather inf...

This work was presented in part at the National Meeting of the American Federation for Clinical Research, Atlantic City, N. J., and published in abstract form (1). Received for publication 13 February 1969 antd in revised form 11 April 1969. Although lending support to the suggested bactericidal role of MPO in leukocytes, the data indicate that alternative bactericidal mechanisms, effective in ...

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a leukocyte-derived enzyme that catalyzes the formation of a number of reactive oxidant species. In addition to being an integral component of the innate immune response, evidence has emerged that MPO-derived oxidants contribute to tissue damage during inflammation. MPO-catalyzed reactions have been attributed to potentially proatherogenic biological activities througho...

Myeloperoxidase is a cationic protein present in the azurophilic granules of human neutrophils and constitutes 2% to 5% of neutrophil protein by weight. Despite extensive characterization of the functional importance of myeloperoxidase in the microbicidal activity of neutrophils, there is no consensus regarding the subunit composition of this enzyme or the presence of genetic polymorphism. Usin...

Proposed herein is a mechanism for virulence by Candida albicans based upon this organism's ability to produce high levels of pyruvate, potentially resulting in localized tissue ketosis and undermining the normal defensive function of neutrophil myeloperoxidase. Neutrophils, a key component of our innate defense against microbial infections, seem to play a particularly important role protecting...