Diverse Roles of Macrophages in Atherosclerosis: From Inflammatory Biology to Biomarker Discovery

Figure 3

The fate of macrophages in an early lesion of atherosclerosis. The accumulation of apolipoprotein B-lipoproteins (apoB-LPs) in the matrix beneath the endothelial cell layer leads to the recruitment of monocytes. The cells differentiating into macrophages undergo foam cell formation, leading to apoptosis. Because efferocytosis works efficiently, this lesion does not develop necrotic core. The resolution of the inflammation results in decreased plaque progression.