Influence of the Immune System on Cardiovascular Disease

The immune system reacts to stimuli such as foreign molecules and tissue damage. Inflammation is an innate physiological response of the organism to tissue injuries triggered by physical, chemical, and biological agents such as infection, trauma, toxin, and tissue necrosis. Once started, the process only ends with the elimination or neutralization of the aggressor agent and the regeneration of the damaged tissue.

The inflammatory process results from complex reactions triggered by molecular and biochemical events involving immune cells, connective tissue cells, inflammatory molecules, and blood vessels. ^, In acute inflammation, resident cells and immune cells present in the injured tissue release histamines, chemokines, interleukins (IL), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) that increase vascular permeability allowing tissue infiltration of fluids and immune cells such as monocytes and neutrophils. Consequently, pathogens, necrotic cells, and cellular debris are eliminated. Finally, inflammatory pathways are inhibited with tissue repair or replacement by fibrosis.

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