Background-C-reactive protein (CRP), an acute-phase reactant long considered merely an innocent bystander in the inflammatory process, is now recognized as a powerful predictor of cardiovascular events. Emerging in vitro evidence suggests that CRP may have direct proinflammatory and prothrombotic effects on monocytes and endothelial cells. To determine whether CRP directly modulates vascular cell function in vivo, we subjected wild-type mice, which do not express CRP, and human CRP-transgenic (CRPtg) mice to 2 models of arterial injury.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.