The circulatory system is made up of blood, the heart (a pump) and miles of
biologically dynamically involved conduit- the vasculature. The interaction of cellular
elements of the blood with the endothelial lining of the vasculature controls so many
short and long term inflammatory processes that this system is complex and just now
being understood in terms of its cellular biology and biochemistry. Atherosclerosis is
the largest killer of persons in developed cultures. The inflammation of atherosclerosis
is indicative of the complexity that can occur within the vascular tree. This chapter will
examine the dynamic interactions of endothelium, coagulation and inflammation with a
focus upon how perturbations of these systems play in creating disease. We will
mention a bit about systemic inflammatory autoimmune diseases and note how these
create vascular manifestations.
Keywords: Atherosclerosis, Chemokine, Coagulation, Endothelium, Glycocalyx,
Heart, Inflammation, Neutrophil, Oxidative stress, Platelet, Vasculitis.
