Cholesterol crystals piercing the arterial plaque and intima trigger local and systemic inflammation.

The occurrence of local and systemic inflammation in atherosclerosis is linked to the plaque piercing action of cholesterol crystals.

This research work was carried out to determine the inflammatory activity of cholesterol crystals. Researchers used a two-stage model to demonstrate the inflammatory action of cholesterol crystals.

In stage I, cellular apoptosis was induced in arterial plaque, triggering local inflammation resulting to the accumulation of a lipid-rich semi-liquid on the core of the plaque. The vulnerable plaque was pierced in stage II, leading to arterial wall injury which triggered systemic inflammation. The findings of this study reveal that cholesterol crystals may be responsible for the local and systemic inflammation experienced by patients suffering from atherosclerosis.