Figure 1.

Similarities between the atherosclerotic plaque and rheumatoid arthritis joint. The (a) atherosclerotic plaque has many features in common with (b) rheumatoid arthritic synovium. First, in both diseases, blood-borne mononuclear cells are recruited to sites that are devoid of any significant inflammation in physiological conditions. Second, upregulation of cytokines and matrix-degrading enzymes is central to the pathogenesis of both diseases. Third, both in rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis, immune cells do not target resident cells in the same way that diabetogenic T cells directly destroy pancreatic islets. Instead, immune cells begin complex interactions with the resident cell types, which proliferate, change their properties and phenotype, and contribute to the inflammatory process and tissue destruction.