Cellular and Molecular Characteristics of Vascular Damage in Giant Cell Arteritis, the Unmet Needs for Targeted Treatment / / Luiza Rusu.

• VerfasserIn: Rusu, Luiza,
• Place / Publishing House: London : : IntechOpen,, 2021.
• Year of Publication: 2021
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (126 pages)

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a primary systemic vasculitis characterized by systemic inflammation and vascular insufficiency of large and medium blood vessels which may lead to end-organ damage in patients age 50 and older. Standard corticosteroid treatment of GCA significantly improves the intima-media thickness while having less influence on vascular endothelial dysfunction. GCA morbidity may be related to both cardiovascular complications and corticosteroid toxicity. Therefore, we aim to discuss 1 characteristic aspects of vascular damage, 2 several mechanisms that cause vascular dysfunction, intima-media 'nodular' thickness, progressive narrowing of the arterial lumen and vascular blockage in the context of systemic inflammation, thrombosis and of the cardiovascular complications in GCA and 3 new therapeutic glucocorticosteroid-sparing (GS) agents which might be a more productive way of avoiding the invalidating or life-threatening cardiovascular complications of GCA.

Table of Contents

Author information -- 1.Introduction -- 2.Characteristics of vascular damage in GCA arteries -- 3.Vascular remodeling of healthy arteries to GCA arteries -- 4.Vascular remodeling is the 'unmet need' in GCA treatment-standard therapy and future perspectives -- 5.Discussion and conclusions -- References.