Ischemia/reperfusion injury: The role of immune cells

Figure 1 Mechanisms of immune cell-mediated injury following ischemia-reperfusion. Monocytes adhere to activated-endothelium at the site of thrombus formation or following ischemia in an atherosclerotic coronary artery. The adhesion of monocytes facilitates migration of the monocyte through the vessel wall. Differentiation of the cell and uptake of cholesterol particles then leads to inflammatory changes and tissue and vascular damage via macrophages, T cells and mast cells at the site of atherosclerosis. LDL: Low-density lipoprotein.