Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Sweden.
Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Sweden.
Eur J Pharmacol. 2017 Dec 5;816:58-66. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2017.04.029. Epub 2017 Apr 28.
Atherosclerosis is an arterial inflammatory disease and the primary cause of cardiovascular disease. T helper (Th) cells are an important part in atherosclerotic plaque as they can be either disease promoting or protective. A body of evidence points to a pro-atherosclerotic role of Th1 cells, whereas the role of Th2, Th17 and iNKT cells seems more complex and dependent on surrounding factors, including the developmental stage of the disease. Opposed to Th1 cells, there is convincing support for an anti-atherogenic role of Tregs. Recent data identify the plasticity of Th cells as an important challenge in understanding the functional role of different Th cell subsets in atherosclerosis. Much of the knowledge of Th cell function in atherosclerosis is based on findings from experimental models and translating this into human disease is challenging. Targeting Th cells and/or their specific cytokines represents an attractive option for future therapy against atherosclerosis, although the benefits and the risk of modulation of Th cells with these novel drug targets must first be carefully assessed.
动脉粥样硬化是一种动脉炎症性疾病，也是心血管疾病的主要病因。辅助性 T 细胞（Th 细胞）是动脉粥样硬化斑块中的一个重要组成部分，因为它们可以促进疾病发展，也可以起到保护作用。大量证据表明 Th1 细胞在动脉粥样硬化中具有促动脉粥样硬化作用，而 Th2、Th17 和 iNKT 细胞的作用似乎更加复杂，取决于周围因素，包括疾病的发展阶段。与 Th1 细胞相反，有充分的证据表明 Treg 具有抗动脉粥样硬化作用。最近的数据表明，Th 细胞的可塑性是理解不同 Th 细胞亚群在动脉粥样硬化中的功能作用的一个重要挑战。关于 Th 细胞在动脉粥样硬化中的功能的大部分知识都是基于实验模型的发现，将这些发现转化为人类疾病具有挑战性。针对 Th 细胞及其特定细胞因子的治疗方法是治疗动脉粥样硬化的一种有吸引力的选择，尽管必须首先仔细评估使用这些新型药物靶点调节 Th 细胞的益处和风险。
