Aird William C
Division of Molecular and Vascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2006 Jan;8(1):69-75. doi: 10.1007/s11883-006-0067-z.
Vascular diseases are the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in the Western world. These conditions, whether they involve small and/or large vessels, invariably manifest as localized lesions within the vascular tree. For example, atherosclerosis preferentially affects arteries at branch points, the outer wall of bifurcations, and the inner walls of curvatures. An important question is how systemic alterations in blood-borne factors (eg, those associated with cardiac risk factors) result in focal vasculopathy. A clue to the answer lies in the complex spatial and temporal dynamics of the endothelium. The goal of this review is to highlight concepts of endothelial cell heterogeneity and to apply these principles to an understanding of the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of atherosclerosis.
血管疾病是西方世界发病和死亡的最常见原因。这些病症，无论涉及小血管和/或大血管，总是表现为血管系统内的局部病变。例如，动脉粥样硬化优先影响分支点处的动脉、分叉的外壁和弯曲处的内壁。一个重要的问题是血液传播因子的全身性改变（例如与心脏危险因素相关的那些）如何导致局灶性血管病变。答案的线索在于内皮细胞复杂的时空动态。本综述的目的是强调内皮细胞异质性的概念，并将这些原理应用于理解动脉粥样硬化的发病机制、诊断和治疗。
