Innate Immunity, Receptors for Exogenous and Endogenous Danger Patterns in Immunopathogenesis of Atherosclerosis – Part I: Identification of Danger Signals by Innate Immunity

Overview

Cellular and humoral components of innate immunity are able to identify danger signals both of the exogenous and endogenous origin. Exogenous danger signals are evolutionary conserved mosaics of danger patterns which are frequent in pathogenic microbes. Endogenous danger signals are raised during damage of self structures, by oxidative stress and/or by chemical modification of self molecules. Danger signals are identified by several families of molecules which are expressed on the surfaces of innate immunity cells. Among them the TLR receptors family which is associated with intracellular signaling pathway NF-κB is one of the most important. The inflammatory response is induced via activated NF-κB transcription factor.

Key words:
innate immunity, danger patterns, TLR receptors.