Macrophage IL-1β promotes arteriogenesis by autocrine STAT3- and NF-κB-mediated transcription of pro-angiogenic VEGF-A.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) leads to considerable morbidity, yet strategies for therapeutic angiogenesis fall short of being impactful. Inflammatory macrophage subsets play an important role in orchestrating post-developmental angiogenesis, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here, we find that macrophage VEGF-A expression is dependent upon the potent inflammatory cytokine, IL-1β.

Aortic Valve Calcification Is Associated with Future Cognitive Impairment.

Background: While an association between atherosclerosis and dementia has been identified, few studies have assessed the longitudinal relationship between aortic valve calcification (AVC) and cognitive impairment (CI).

Objective: We sought to determine whether AVC derived from lung cancer screening CT (LCSCT) was associated with CI in a moderate-to-high atherosclerotic risk cohort.

Methods: This was a single site, retrospective analysis of 1401 U.

Statins Disrupt Macrophage Rac1 Regulation Leading to Increased Atherosclerotic Plaque Calcification.

Objective: Calcification of atherosclerotic plaque is traditionally associated with increased cardiovascular event risk; however, recent studies have found increased calcium density to be associated with more stable disease. 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzymeA reductase inhibitors or statins reduce cardiovascular events. Invasive clinical studies have found that statins alter both the lipid and calcium composition of plaque but the molecular mechanisms of statin-mediated effects on plaque calcium composition remain unclear.

Impact of Slice Thickness on the Predictive Value of Lung Cancer Screening Computed Tomography in the Evaluation of Coronary Artery Calcification.

Background Image reconstruction thickness may impact quantitative coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS) from lung cancer screening computed tomography (LCSCT), limiting its application in practice. Methods and Results We evaluated Agatston-based quantitative CACS from 1.25-mm LCSCT and cardiac computed tomography for agreement in 87 patients.