Dedicated to Rita Levi-Montalcini ©The Bulgarian-American Center, Varna, Bulgaria ISSN1310-392X NEUROIMMUNE HYPOTHESIS OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS

Although "many roads lead to atheroma ", the prevailing hypothesis at present is the Russell Ross ' response-to-injury hypothesis, which sates that atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease that involves several aspects of wound healing. It is noteworthy that, emphasized by the current studies of neurotrophic factors and nerve-immune cell interactions, neuroimmune mechanisms are increasingly implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of inflammatory diseases. Here we highlight the possibility that neuroimmune mechanisms, including the participation of neurotrophic factors and immune cells, may also be involved in the process of atherogenesis. Biomed Rev 1999; 10: 37-44