Role of pro-atherogenic adhesion molecules and inflammatory cytokines in patients with coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus type 2

Accelerated progression of atherosclerosis in coronary, carotid, cerebral, and peripheral arteries is a phenomenon observed in diabetes mellitus. Pathophysiologic mechanisms are slowly being understood. Pro-atherogenic adhesion molecules and inflammatory cytokines are involved in this process. This review addresses current concepts of atherogenesis and focuses on alterations of adhesion molecule and cytokine expression and their regulation in diabetic patients. Molecules are being discussed in both the normoglycemic and hyperglycemic states, with a focus on their atherogenic role in diabetes mellitus. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie disease progression will help to identify high-risk patients, which is a prerequisite for new treatment strategies aiming at an attenuation of disease progression in diabetic patients. (C) 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.