ABSTRACT
Atherosclerosis is de•ned as the presence of focal thickening (atheroma) of the tunica intima of largeand medium-sized elastic muscular arteries, leading to atherosclerosis-related clinical complications such as coronary artery disease (CAD), stroke, and peripheral vascular diseases. It is recognized as a chronic in›ammatory disease in which an in›ammatory response is the key event that leads to the formation of atheromatous plaques that develop in response to damage to the vessel wall, ultimately resulting in vascular occlusion (Ross 1999). It is associated with endothelial cell activation, oxidative stress, and accumulation of leucocytes in the walls of large arteries (Hansson et al. 1991). Atherogenesis can be in›uenced by multiple genetic and environmental factors that involve a complex interplay between blood components and the arterial wall. It is characterized by the in•ltration of mononuclear blood cells into the intima, proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells, and progressive deposition of extracellular matrix, which with time gives rise to characteristic fatty-•brous lesions (Ross 1999).
