Monocytes in ischemic heart disease

The link between the immune system and ischemic heart disease has been recognized for years and great improvements have been made in understanding the role of immune cells in the context of infarct healing, atherosclerosis and arteriogenesis, using experimental and in vitro models. However, the role of each cell subset is complex, and considerable differences exist between the reparative responses in experimental models and patients. Therefore, the main aim of this thesis was to gain more insight into the role of immune cells, particularly monocytes, in the reparative responses to acute and chronic ischemic heart disease in patients, and hence, to find new clues for treatment. The results presented in this thesis are derived from clinical studies, autopsy studies, experimental studies and in vitro studies, and were performed in close collaboration with various research groups. This interdisciplinary effort has resulted in a more integrated understanding of how monocytes are involved the reparative responses to acute and chronic ischemic heart disease.