Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory process of medium and large size vessels that is
characterized by the formation of plaques consisting of foam cells, immune cells, vascular
endothelial and smooth muscle cells, platelets, extracellular matrix, and a lipid-rich core with
extensive necrosis and fibrosis of surrounding tissues. 1 The innate and adaptive arms of
the immune response are involved in the initiation, development and persistence of
atherosclerosis. 2, 3 There is a significant body of evidence that different subsets of the …