Vascular endothelium in immunology and infectious disease

During infection the vascular endothelial cell (EC) undergoes important immunologic alterations leading to increased leukocyte-EC adherence and initiation of a host inflammatory response. ECs express class 2 immune response genes and the interleukin 1 gene to a greater degree during infection and th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inReviews of infectious diseases Vol. 11; no. 2; p. 273
Main Author Beilke, M A
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.03.1989
Subjects
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - immunology
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - microbiology
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - pathology
Cell Adhesion
Cells, Cultured
Endothelium, Vascular - immunology
Endothelium, Vascular - microbiology
Endothelium, Vascular - pathology
Histocompatibility Antigens Class II - biosynthesis
HIV - physiology
Humans
Infection - immunology
Infection - pathology
Leukocytes - pathology
Virus Physiological Phenomena
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Summary:During infection the vascular endothelial cell (EC) undergoes important immunologic alterations leading to increased leukocyte-EC adherence and initiation of a host inflammatory response. ECs express class 2 immune response genes and the interleukin 1 gene to a greater degree during infection and thus may be capable of amplifying the lymphocytic proliferative process. Lymphokines generated from stimulated lymphocytes, notably interferon-gamma, may in turn further enhance EC-leukocyte adherence and class 2 antigenic presentation by ECs. The ECs of different organ systems appear variable in terms of their immunologic capabilities. Infection of the endothelium has been demonstrated for an array of human pathogens, and even subclinical infection of ECs may ultimately assume importance in disease processes such as atherosclerosis. A potential role of the EC in the pathogenesis of newer infectious diseases, such as AIDS, is becoming evident and warrants further attention.
ISSN:0162-0886