Arteri(ol)osclerosis & Atherosclerosis Vocabulary

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the definitions, risk factors, morphological features, and pathogenesis of arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis based on the lecture notes.

Arteriosclerosis

A general clinical term for any thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of the arterial wall.

Arteriolosclerosis

A specific form of arteriosclerosis that targets small arteries and arterioles, often associated with chronic hypertension and diabetes.

Monckeberg's sclerosis

A condition featuring circumferential calcification confined strictly within the tunica media of medium-sized muscular arteries, often with metaplastic bone and bone marrow formation.

Nonmodifiable (Constitutional) Risk Factors

Traditional risk factors for atherosclerosis that cannot be changed, including increasing age, male gender, family history of premature MI, and genetic abnormalities.

Modifiable Risk Factors

Traditional risk factors for atherosclerosis that can be managed, including hyperlipidaemia, hypertension, cigarette smoking, and diabetes.

Atherosclerotic Plaque (Cells)

The cellular components of a plaque, consisting of smooth muscle cells (SMCs), macrophages, and T lymphocytes.

Atherosclerotic Plaque (Extracellular Matrix)

Components of a plaque including collagen, elastic fibers, and proteoglycans.

Atherosclerotic Plaque (Lipids)

Intracellular and extracellular accumulation of cholesterol crystals and foam cells within a plaque.

Fatty Streak

A flat, yellow intimal macule composed purely of lipid-filled foamy macrophages which does not cause flow disturbance.

Atheromatous Plaque

A raised, yellow-tan intimal elevation featuring a protective fibrous cap covering a central necrotic core rich in lipids, cell debris, and calcium.

Atheroembolism

A complication of atherosclerosis involving the discharge of necrotic debris from a plaque into the bloodstream.

Aneurysm (in atherosclerosis)

A complication characterized by the formation of a bulge due to ischemic atrophy of the underlying tunica media beneath a plaque.

LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein)

A lipoprotein that delivers cholesterol into the arterial wall; when oxidized, it triggers endothelial damage and macrophage recruitment.

HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein)

A lipoprotein that protects against plaque formation by facilitating reverse cholesterol transport, returning cholesterol to the liver for excretion.

"Response-to-injury" hypothesis

A step-by-step pathogenesis model where atherosclerosis is triggered by chronic injury to the arterial endothelium.

Foam Cells

Tissue macrophages that have used scavenger receptors to engulf oxidized LDL, becoming lipid-filled cells that form early fatty streaks.

VCAM-1

An adhesion molecule expressed by endothelial cells that captures circulating monocytes and T lymphocytes to allow migration into the intima.

Pro-inflammatory cytokines (Atherosclerosis)

Secreted by macrophages and T cells to sustain chronic inflammation, including $IL-1$, $TNF$, and $\text{interferon}-\text{γ}$.

PDGF and $TGF-\text{β}$

Growth factors released by macrophages, platelets, and endothelial cells that stimulate smooth muscle cells to migrate from the media into the intima.

Synthetic state (Smooth Muscle Cells)

A phenotypic shift where smooth muscle cells in the intima proliferate and produce large amounts of extracellular matrix proteins, particularly collagen.

Fibrous Cap

The surface component of an atheromatous plaque composed of smooth muscle cells, dense collagen, and scattered lymphocytes.

Necrotic Center (Histological Appearance)

A region beneath the fibrous cap containing cell debris, areas of calcification, and extracellular cholesterol crystals appearing as clear needle-like clefts.

Metalloproteinases

Enzymes secreted by inflammatory cells within a plaque that degrade collagen, resulting in the thinning and weakening of the fibrous cap.

Acute Luminal Thrombus

A complication caused by plaque rupture exposing thrombogenic core components like tissue factor and collagen, leading to platelet activation and vessel occlusion.