Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Autoimmunity: busting the atherosclerotic plaque

Nature Medicine volume 9, pages 641–642 (2003)Cite this article

Autoimmunity is suspected to contribute to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. Studies in mice suggest that this response may instead be protective—and that it may be enhanced with a vaccine (pages 736–743).

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Proposed role for phosphorylcholine-specific autoantibodies in slowing the progression of atherosclerosis.

References

  1. Stemme, S. et al. T lymphocytes from human atherosclerotic plaques recognize oxidized low density lipoprotein. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92, 3893–3897 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Wick, G., Perschinka, H. & Millonig, G. Atherosclerosis as an autoimmune disease: an update. Trends Immunol. 22, 665–669 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Binder, C.J. et al. Pneumococcal vaccination decreases atherosclerotic lesion formation: molecular mimicry between Streptococcus pneumoniae and oxidized LDL. Nat. Med. 9, 736–743 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Dighiero, G. & Rose, N.R. Critical self-epitopes are key to the understanding of self-tolerance and autoimmunity. Immunol. Today 20, 423–428 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Briles, D.E. et al. Anti-phosphorylcholine antibodies of the T15 idiotype are optimally protective against Streptococcus pneumoniae. J. Exp. Med. 156, 1177–1185 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Shaw, P.X. et al. Natural antibodies with the T15 idiotype may act in atherosclerosis, apoptotic clearance, and protective immunity. J. Clin. Invest. 105, 1683–1685 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Matsuura, E. et al. Anti-β 2-glycoprotein I autoantibodies and atherosclerosis. Int. Rev. Immunol. 21, 51–66 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Cosenza, H. & Kohler, H. Specific suppression of the antibody response by antibodies to receptors. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 69, 2701–2705 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Lieberman, R., Potter, M., Mushinski, E.B., Humphrey, W. Jr. & Rudikoff, S. Genetics of a new IgVH (T15 idiotype) marker in the mouse regulating natural antibody to phosphorylcholine. J. Exp. Med. 139, 983–1001 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Microbiology and Pathology, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, 21205, Maryland, USA

    Noel Rose & Marina Afanasyeva

Authors
  1. Noel Rose
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Marina Afanasyeva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Noel Rose.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rose, N., Afanasyeva, M. Autoimmunity: busting the atherosclerotic plaque. Nat Med 9, 641–642 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0603-641

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0603-641

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing