Risk factors for atherosclerosis are known to improper diet, impaired integrity of the vascular wall, the change of concentration of lipoproteins and so on. However, Russian researchers have managed to identify genetic factors responsible for the development of this disease.
As we found out, atherosclerosis it may be associated with the human immune system. The survey was funded by a grant from the Russian science Foundation (RNF), in the course of which Russian biologists decided to study the genetic side of this issue. As stated Junior researcher at National medical research center of cardiology, Ministry of health of the Russian Federation Nikita Nikiforov,
“In the course of the study, we have identified ten genes responsible for cholesterol accumulation in cells. Some of them involve inflammation, but the role of certain genes so far not been studied. Moreover, among the identified genes, no single gene involved in intracellular cholesterol metabolism that allows to put forward a new hypothesis: the immune response stimulates intracellular accumulation of lipids”.
It is also worth noting that such a theory, called infiltration, was advanced in the last century. It cannot, however, explain the fact that atherosclerotic plaques frequently occur in a certain place. In atherosclerotic lesions involves cells and molecules, typically accompanying inflammation. After that the development of atherosclerotic plaques began to be regarded as a process accompanied by local chronic inflammation. Despite the fact that there was a huge amount of data on the role of inflammation in development of atherosclerosis, it is unknown whether the reaction of innate immunity cause or only a consequence of the accumulation of lipids in the vascular wall.
“Our project aims to find the reasons for accumulation of intracellular lipids. Our results suggests that the low-density lipoproteins cause the immune response, which provokes the development of atherosclerosis”.
Based on materials from the publication “Gazeta”
Identified the genes responsible for the development of atherosclerosis
Vladimir Kuznetsov