Inflammation is a critical factor in early atherosclerosis and its progression to myocardial infarction. The search for valid surrogate markers of arterial vascular inflammation led to the increasing use of positron emission tomography/computed tomography. Indeed, vascular inflammation is associated with future risk for myocardial infarction and can be modulated with short-term therapies, such as statins, that mitigate cardiovascular risk. However, to better understand vascular inflammation and its mechanisms, a panel was recently convened of world experts in immunology, human translational research, and positron emission tomographic vascular imaging. This contemporary review first strives to understand the diverse roles of immune cells implicated in atherogenesis. Next, the authors describe human chronic inflammatory disease models that can help elucidate the pathophysiology of vascular inflammation. Finally, the authors review positron emission tomography-based imaging techniques to characterize the vessel wall in vivo.

中文翻译：

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解开血管炎症

炎症是早期动脉粥样硬化及其进展为心肌梗塞的关键因素。寻找有效的动脉血管炎症替代标志物导致越来越多地使用正电子发射断层扫描/计算机断层扫描。事实上，血管炎症与未来发生心肌梗塞的风险有关，并且可以通过短期疗法（如他汀类药物）进行调节，从而降低心血管风险。然而，为了更好地了解血管炎症及其机制，最近召集了一个由免疫学、人类转化研究和正电子发射断层扫描血管成像领域的世界专家组成的小组。这篇当代评论首先致力于了解与动脉粥样硬化有关的免疫细胞的不同作用。下一个，作者描述了有助于阐明血管炎症病理生理学的人类慢性炎症疾病模型。最后，作者回顾了基于正电子发射断层扫描的成像技术来表征体内血管壁。