European Atherosclerosis Journal
The European Atherosclerosis Journal is an official journal of SITeCS (Italian Society for Experimental and Clinical Therapeutics).
The European Atherosclerosis Journal is a new international, peer-reviewed, fully open access, four-monthly journal covering all topics within atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease areas.The Journal aims to publish high quality research and follows strict rules to assess originality and best practices for authorship and disclosure of potential conflicts of interest.
Open Access
European Atherosclerosis Journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports exchange of knowledge.
All content in European Atherosclerosis Journal are published by SITeCS and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives license (CC BY-NC-ND)
Focus and Scope
European Atherosclerosis Journal is an international journal that publishes papers in the field of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, from basic research to clinical and translational studies. Meta-analysis and systematic reviews will also be accepted. Papers will be considered for publication based on originality and contribution to the field. The journal will consider for publication original articles (experimental and clinical), review articles, methodology papers, editorials, letters to the Editor, viewpoints, congress/conference reports.
Editorial Board
Editor in Chief: Alberto Corsini, Milan, Italy;
Editorial Board: Maurizio Averna, Palermo, Italy; Michel Farnier, Dijon, France; Meral Kayikcioglu, Izmir, Turkey; Luis Masana, Reus, Spain; Andrea Poli, Nutrition Foundation of Italy, Milan, Italy; Evgeny V. Shlyakhto, Saint Petersburg, Russia; Margus Viigimaa, Tallinn, Estonia.
The Editorial Board can invite authors to submit state-of-the-art papers. Authors are encouraged to submit pre-request to the Editor-in-Chief for evaluation of the potential acceptability of their contributions.
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Review
Abstract 47
Page 30-37
Atherosclerosis associated with Chlamydia pneumoniae: Dissecting the etiology
Hasan Selcuk Ozkan, Meral Kayikcioglu
Chlamydia pneumoniae related infections and atherosclerosis are both common entities. Today, the literature presents an enormous amount of data regarding the role of C. pneumoniae in the development and sustainment of atherosclerosis and allowing us to comprehend the molecular mechanisms behind better. The implications of C. pneumoniae in atherogenesis include altered platelet function, hypercoagulability, macrophage dysfunction, vascular smooth muscle proliferation, and increased neutrophilic migration. Therefore, it would not be wrong to implicate that, C. pneumoniae plays important roles in almost every stage of atherogenesis. Furthermore, various serological markers suggestive of active or past C. pneumoniae infection are known to be associated with multiple clinical presentations, such as abdominal aortic aneurysms, subclinical atherosclerosis in the young individuals, aggravated atherosclerosis in heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. This review, as a result, aims to provide detailed insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms of atherogenesis associated with C. pneumoniae and its clinical implications.
Abstract 93
Page 38-50
MicroRNAs in the progression of atherosclerosis: rise and fall of the atherosclerotic plaque
Andrea Rampin, Martina Mutoli, Massimiliano Martelli, Alberto M. Settembrini, Fabio Martelli,...
Atherosclerosis is the main cause of mortality globally, being at the basis of most cardiovascular diseases. It is a multifactorial disease, arising from complex interactions comprising changes in lipid metabolism, inflammation and oxidative stress. These factors contribute to endothelial damage and dysfunction, the accumulation of immune cells and smooth muscle cells in the intima, ultimately leading to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, which restricts blood flow through the vessels. Much progress has been made in the last decades in debunking the underlying mechanisms of atherosclerosis development, especially concerning the evaluation and prediction of plaque stability and the understanding of the roles played by each of the involved cell types. As yet, mechanisms that drive plaque development toward specific 'vulnerable' phenotypes remain undiscovered. Based on recent advancements in RNA therapeutics, this review aims to illustrate a comprehensive overview of miRNAs relevant to various aspects of atherosclerosis and emphasizes their theranostic potential, highlighting their dual role as both drug targets and biomarkers.
Short Communication
Abstract 91
Page 54-56
Atherosclerosis and cholesterol: What we should know
Alberico L. Catapano
The relationship between plasma cholesterol levels and the risk of cardiovascular events is well known. When analysing plasma cholesterol levels and integrating data from several studies, including the Pooling Project, the Framingham Heart Study and the Israeli Perspective Study, a consistent association was confirmed worldwide. This pattern was particularly evident in the Seven Countries Study.1 The observed variations in risk across different populations are largely due to the baseline risk values of these populations. For example, the Framingham Heart Study has shown that its results are applicable in any country by adjusting for baseline risk, suggesting a universal pattern in the relationship between cholesterol levels and cardiovascular risk. This has led to debate because the relationship has been oversimplified and presented as linear when it is not necessarily so. For example, an increase in total cholesterol of 0.5 mmol/L (about 20 mg/dL) correlates with a 12% change in mortality risk. In agreement with this observation, data from the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists' (CTT) Collaboration have shown that lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) by 1 mmol/L reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by 22-23% reduction, which is consistent with data from clinical trials.
Abstract 37
Page 51-53
Novel approaches to lipid lowering
Maurizio Averna
The focus of this review are the novel and future approaches to reduce the cardiovascular (CV) residual risk by reducing the apoB-containing lipoproteins levels. We assume that in the clinical practice a combination therapy based on the use of high intensity statins, ezetimibe, bempedoic acid, mAbs anti PCSK9 or Inclisiran may reduce most of the cardiovascular risk associated with the apoB containing lipoproteins and may contribute to achieve the LDL-Cholesterol (LDL-C) goal in the majority of individuals at high and very high risk. However we can assume that a proportion of well treated patients will develop new cardiovascular events. Many factors such as the genetic background, the pre-existing burden of disease and the residual risk attributable to triglycerides, inflammation, coagulation and platelets may explain this recurrence of events. We discuss some novel options to reduce the residual risk due to the two main apoB-containing lipoproteins, LDL-C and Lp(a), that are:
-the newest-generation CETP inhibitor, Obicetrapib; the oral PCSK9 inhibition; the novel approaches to reduce Lp(a) plasma levels (antisense oligonucleotides-ASO; rna interfering-Sirna; assembly inhibition-; the PCSK9 gene editing.
European Atherosclerosis Journal is an international, peer-reviewed, fully open access, four-monthly journal covering all topics within atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease areas.
European Atherosclerosis Journal is the official journal of SITeCS (Società Italiana di Terapia Clinica e Sperimentale - Italian Society for Experimental and Clinical Therapeutics).
European Atherosclerosis Journal aims to publish high quality research and follows strict rules to assess originality and best practices for authorship and disclosure of potential conflicts of interest.