About this Research Topic
Recent advances showed that autoimmune diseases, affecting over 24 million people in America, are associated with an increased cardiovascular (CV) risk, independently of traditional CV risk factors. However, cardiovascular involvement is often underdiagnosed resulting in delayed treatment which has an adverse impact on prognosis.
Conversely, numerous autoantibodies have been shown to be prevalent in the general population (preclinical autoimmunity) and in high CV risk populations, where such biological autoimmunity signatures have been shown to prognosticate incident CV complications. By fulfilling Rose’s postulates, atherosclerosis could even be viewed as an autoimmune disease or, at least, as an inflammatory disease modulated by autoimmunity. Given the broad diversity of autoantibodies and their dual biological activities in regard of atherogenesis, the contribution of autoimmunity in CVD remains a controversy.
This Research Topic will investigate autoimmune disease and the heart including early diagnosis and intervention. Sub-themes may include but are not limited to:
• Inflammation and autoimmunity in the cardiovascular system (T & B lymphocyte involvement)
• Autoantibodies as biomarkers for CV risk stratification
• Autoantibodies as CV therapeutic targets
• Vascular damage and cardiovascular morbidity in autoimmune diseases
• Molecular mimicry, epitope spreading, and loss of self-tolerance in CVD
• Multiple role of HDL in autoimmune diseases
• Autoimmunity and myocardial fibrosis
Conversely, numerous autoantibodies have been shown to be prevalent in the general population (preclinical autoimmunity) and in high CV risk populations, where such biological autoimmunity signatures have been shown to prognosticate incident CV complications. By fulfilling Rose’s postulates, atherosclerosis could even be viewed as an autoimmune disease or, at least, as an inflammatory disease modulated by autoimmunity. Given the broad diversity of autoantibodies and their dual biological activities in regard of atherogenesis, the contribution of autoimmunity in CVD remains a controversy.
This Research Topic will investigate autoimmune disease and the heart including early diagnosis and intervention. Sub-themes may include but are not limited to:
• Inflammation and autoimmunity in the cardiovascular system (T & B lymphocyte involvement)
• Autoantibodies as biomarkers for CV risk stratification
• Autoantibodies as CV therapeutic targets
• Vascular damage and cardiovascular morbidity in autoimmune diseases
• Molecular mimicry, epitope spreading, and loss of self-tolerance in CVD
• Multiple role of HDL in autoimmune diseases
• Autoimmunity and myocardial fibrosis
Keywords: Autoimmune, inflammation, sclerosis, vascular damage, rheumatic
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