Role of Inflammatory Response and Thrombosis in Acute Coronary Syndromes

Atherosclerotic involvement of coronary arteries is the underlying process in the majority of ischemic heart diseases. Atherosclerotic lesions may cause stable syndromes of ischemia by means of direct luminal arterial narrowing (stable lesions) or unstable or acute ischemic syndromes by inducing intraluminal thrombus formation (unstable lesions). Clinical consequences of coronary lesions will depend on the degree and acuteness of blood flow obstruction, the duration of decreased perfusion and the relative myocardial oxygen demand at the time of blood flow obstruction.