ANGELES UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION

College of Nursing

Angeles City

JOURNAL READING
“Atherosclerosis”

In Partial fulfillment of the requirements in Related Learning Experience

IV-

Special Area in Ospital ning Angeles

SUBMITTED BY:
 Navarro, Leah D.

SUBMITTED TO:

Ma’am Liza Calaguas

ARTICLE:

New Atherosclerosis Vaccine Gives Promising Results

ScienceDaily (May 6, 2010) — A new study by researchers at the

Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet shows that the

immune defence's T cells can attack the "bad" LDL cholesterol and

thereby cause an inflammation that leads to atherosclerosis. By

producing a vaccine against the T cell receptors, the researchers have

managed to inhibit the development of atherosclerosis in animals.

The study is presented online in the distinguished periodical Journal of

Experimental Medicine and is expected to be of considerable

significance to the future treatment of atherosclerosis, heart attack

and stroke.

Cholesterol is transported in the blood in LDL particles, which are a

kind of fat drops that can accumulate in the walls of blood vessels. LDL

activates the immune defence and triggers an inflammation in the

blood vessels that leads to atherosclerosis (also known as

arteriosclerosis). When the atherosclerotic plaque finally ruptures, a

blood clot is formed that in turn can cause a heart attack or stroke.

It was previously thought that the inflammation in the blood vessels

arises when the T cells react to oxidised LDL particles located in the

atherosclerotic plaque. Now, however, the team at Karolinska Institutet

has found that the opposite is true, namely that the T cells react to

components in the normal LDL particles, and that they no longer

recognise LDL once it has been oxidised.

"Since reactions to LDL can be dangerous, T cells are normally held in

check by inhibitory signals," says Professor Göran K Hansson, who led

the study. "The body's own control works well as long as the LDL keeps

to the blood, liver and lymph glands. But when it accumulates in the

artery wall, this inhibition is no longer enough, the T cells are activated

and an inflammation arises."

Together with his research group at Karolinska Institutet he now

presents a new principle for inhibiting atherosclerosis. Vaccination

against the receptor that the T cells use to recognise LDL can block the

immune reaction and reduce the disease by between 60 and 70 per

cent. The vaccine has been successfully tested on animals and the

researchers are now hoping to see if it can be developed into a

treatment for patients with a high risk of myocardial infarction and

stroke.

The researchers also now believe that their results explain why

antioxidants are ineffective against cardiovascular disease when they

have been tested in large clinical studies.

"If one takes antioxidants, one simply prevents the oxidation of LDL,"

says Professor Hansson. "It retains its ability to activate the T cells, and

so the inflammation in the blood vessels can increase. This could give

the opposite results to what one was hoping for."

Journal Reference:

A. Hermansson, D. F. J. Ketelhuth, D. Strodthoff, M. Wurm, E. M.

Hansson, A. Nicoletti, G. Paulsson-Berne, G. K. Hansson. Inhibition of

T cell response to native low-density lipoprotein reduces

atherosclerosis. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 2010; DOI:

10.1084/jem.20092243

Karolinska Institutet (2010, May 6). New atherosclerosis vaccine gives

promising results. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 4, 2010, from

http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2010/05/100506090935.htm

SUMMARY:

The heart symbolizes life, and it is one of the hard working parts

of the human body. Once it stops, all organs will immediately follow.
But despite this fact, a lot of people are not taking good care of this

vital organ, especially those in developed countries like the United

States of America and developing countries like ours.

Cardiovascular Disease is the leading cause of death in US for

men and women of all racial and ethnic groups, and more women die

of cardiovascular disease than all types of cancers combined according

to the American Heart Association by the year 2001. Of particular

concern for global perspective are projections from the World Heart

Federation that the burden of disease in developing countries will

become more closely aligned with that now afflicting the developed

countries. With decline in infectious disease-related deaths and

lifestyle change promoting atherosclerosis, developing countries

especially in Eastern Europe, Asia and parts of Latin America are

expected to experience a sharp increase in ischemic heart disease and

acute myocardial infarction .

In the Philippines, heart diseases ranks 1st in the leading causes

of death among Filipinos, while 7th on the leading causes of morbidity.

One of the common causes of a heart disease is atherosclerosis,

wherein atherosclerosis causes occlusion of the coronary artery.

Irreversible cardiac injury occurs if occlusion is complete for at least 15

to 20 minutes.
 Atherosclerosis is the name of the process in which deposits of fatty

substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium and other

substances build up in the inner lining of an artery. This buildup is

called plaque. It usually affects large and medium-sized arteries. Some

hardening of arteries often occurs when people grow older. It is one

predisposing factor that can be modified through our diet and others.

In one of the articles of science daily about atherosclerosis is about

the new vaccine that has promising results.

The study shows that the immune defense's T cells can fight the

LDL cholesterol or what we used to call bad cholesterol and thereby

cause an inflammation that leads to atherosclerosis.

The body controls the cholesterol level but when the cholesterol

have reached any arteries, the control is not enough then T cells are

being activated and causes inflammation. So the study shows that by

producing a vaccine against the T cell receptors, they have managed

to reduce or stop the development of atherosclerosis in animals.

The researchers together with the research group at Karolinska

Institut they now presents a new principle for inhibiting atherosclerosis.

Vaccination against the receptor that the T cells use to recognize LDL

can block the immune reaction and reduce the disease by between 60

and 70 per cent. The vaccine has been successfully tested on animals

and the researchers are now hoping to see if it can be developed into a
treatment for patients with a high risk of myocardial infarction and

stroke.

Also, the study says that anti-oxidants are not that effective in

inhibiting cholesterol build up because it just prevents oxidification of

cholesterol but it not prevents the build up of T cells which play a big

role in atherosclerosis.

REACTION:

Heart is a very important part of the body and it completes

the system of the body in which it plays a big role in the

proper functioning of every human. With this fact, there are

still many people who do not even care to take good care of

themselves and at the end they suffer.

The newly developed tool has a great impact in attaining the

goal of the health care providers to accurately identify the real

problem of every patient that they may handle and to accurately

identify the best procedure for the patients to help them to be treated

and to recover as faster as possible and for the patient to recover well.

There are really many cases of heart diseases among adults and

children and the most common is about their heart defects. It is good

to know that there are still unending researches about the treating
diseases to compensate with the increasing numbers of problems

among adults and children. Medical research is evidently being done to

update people that there are still truly concerned health care

providers that will improve the health status of every human being in

this world to compensate with the changing trends of diseases or

problems .

RECOMMENDATION:

There are increasing rate of adults and children having heart

defects nowadays, as a matter of fact these are even greater than the

other case of diseases. It is good to know that there are still truly

concerned- health care providers who research for the betterment of

every disease as it change its trends.

So we should give importance on this because it truly helps the

people and it is nice to let the people know that there is this type of

procedure that will easily help them whenever they will need it.

We can share it to everyone so that everyone will always be

aware of what is happening around them so that they could gain

knowledge and in that they could help themselves to improve their

health status. We can be confident to share it to everyone because it is

based on studies and research and it is studied that this procedures or

to be specific, this new technology has the whole concept of that the

simulation offers opportunities to try things with zero risk to the

patients, so it is beneficial and advantageous. It could help a lot.

NURSING IMPLICATION:

Journal reading reflects modern nursing practice and education

and provides a unique , controversial , perspective on the struggles

on all nurses face. This is the nursing reference that can lead the

readers to examine nursing issues in new and different ways.

Journal is a must-have nursing resource. Journal reading grasps

the issues and dilemmas facing nurses in all areas of practice and

their interactions with other health care providers and the public. It

covers topics of interest to all nurses, including regular acute care,

chronic disease treatment, aging and mentally ill patients, hazards

of the workplace, and the loss of patients. Journal has evolved as

the nurses best source in a variety of practice settings.

 Journal reading can really help students and educators who want

to advance in the nursing profession by promoting creative and

modern practices for effective and compassionate care for the

patients.