Leukotriene B4 Contributes to Development of Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a highly prevalent vaso-occlusive disease that is a leading cause of graft failure and mortality after heart transplantation. While the pathogenesis of CAV remains incompletely understood, histologic evidence suggests that macrophages, which constitute an important part of the innate immune response, may play an important role. Prior studies in pulmonary hypertension have shown that macrophage-derived leukotriene B4 (LTB4) induces proliferation and hypertrophy of human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells.
Source: The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation - Category: Transplant Surgery Authors: Tags: 218 Source Type: research