The cells that line the arteries are able to produce
C-reactive protein, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in the
American Journal of Pathology.
C-reactive protein, produced by the liver, is a risk marker for heart disease, but UC Davis Health System
researchers Ishwarlal Jialal and Sridevi Devaraj found that endothelial cells also produce C-reactive
"We have demonstrated that aortic and coronary artery endothelial cells produce and secrete C-reactive
protein," said Jialal, professor of pathology and internal medicine and director of the Laboratory
for Atherosclerosis and Metabolic Research at UC Davis Medical Center. "We also showed that mature
white cells make chemical messengers, which enhance the C-reactive protein secretion by endothelial cells
at least 10-fold."
"This tells us that there is cross-talk in the active plaque where these cells act in concert to
cause very high C-reactive protein levels in the accumulation of plaque on the innermost layer of the
artery. The C-reactive protein can act not only on the endothelial cells, but also on white cells and
smooth muscle cells in the atheroma. This creates a vicious cycle, leading to plaque instability and rupture,
and ultimately heart attacks and strokes."