Foam cells are
cellsThe cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of an organism that is classified as living, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos...
in an
atheromaIn pathology, an atheroma is an accumulation and swelling in artery walls that is made up of cells , or cell debris, that contain lipids , calcium and a variable amount of fibrous connective tissue. In the context of heart or artery matters, atheromata are commonly referred to as atheromatous...
derived from both macrophages and smooth muscle cells which have accumulated low density lipoproteins, LDLs, by
endocytosisEndocytosis is the process by which cells absorb molecules from outside the cell by engulfing it with their cell membrane. It is used by all cells of the body because most substances important to them are large polar molecules that cannot pass through the hydrophobic plasma membrane or cell membrane...
. The LDL has crossed the
endothelialThe endothelium is the thin layer of cells that line the interior surface of blood vessels, forming an interface between circulating blood in the lumen and the rest of the vessel wall. Endothelial cells line the entire circulatory system, from the heart to the smallest capillary...
barrier and has been oxidized by
reactive oxygen speciesReactive oxygen species are free radicals that contain the oxygen atom. They are very small molecules that include oxygen ions and peroxides and can be either inorganic or organic. They are highly reactive due to the presence of unpaired valence shell electrons.ROS form as a natural byproduct of...
produced by the endothelial cells. Foam cells can also be known as fatty like streaks and typically line the
tunica intimaThe tunica intima is the innermost layer of an artery or vein. It is made up of one layer of endothelial cells and is supported by an internal elastic lamina...
of the vasculature.
Foam cells are not dangerous as such, but can become a problem when they accumulate at particular foci thus creating a necrotic centre of the
atherosclerosisAtherosclerosis is the condition in which an artery wall thickens as the result of a build-up of fatty materials such as cholesterol...
.
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Foam cells are
cellsThe cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of an organism that is classified as living, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos...
in an
atheromaIn pathology, an atheroma is an accumulation and swelling in artery walls that is made up of cells , or cell debris, that contain lipids , calcium and a variable amount of fibrous connective tissue. In the context of heart or artery matters, atheromata are commonly referred to as atheromatous...
derived from both macrophages and smooth muscle cells which have accumulated low density lipoproteins, LDLs, by
endocytosisEndocytosis is the process by which cells absorb molecules from outside the cell by engulfing it with their cell membrane. It is used by all cells of the body because most substances important to them are large polar molecules that cannot pass through the hydrophobic plasma membrane or cell membrane...
. The LDL has crossed the
endothelialThe endothelium is the thin layer of cells that line the interior surface of blood vessels, forming an interface between circulating blood in the lumen and the rest of the vessel wall. Endothelial cells line the entire circulatory system, from the heart to the smallest capillary...
barrier and has been oxidized by
reactive oxygen speciesReactive oxygen species are free radicals that contain the oxygen atom. They are very small molecules that include oxygen ions and peroxides and can be either inorganic or organic. They are highly reactive due to the presence of unpaired valence shell electrons.ROS form as a natural byproduct of...
produced by the endothelial cells. Foam cells can also be known as fatty like streaks and typically line the
tunica intimaThe tunica intima is the innermost layer of an artery or vein. It is made up of one layer of endothelial cells and is supported by an internal elastic lamina...
of the vasculature.
Foam cells are not dangerous as such, but can become a problem when they accumulate at particular foci thus creating a necrotic centre of the
atherosclerosisAtherosclerosis is the condition in which an artery wall thickens as the result of a build-up of fatty materials such as cholesterol...
. If the fibrous cap that prevents the necrotic centre from spilling into the
lumenA lumen in biology is the inside space of a tubular structure, such as an artery or intestine...
of a vessel ruptures, a
thrombusA thrombus , or blood clot, is the final product of the blood coagulation step in hemostasis. It is achieved via the aggregation of platelets that form a platelet plug, and the activation of the humoral coagulation system...
can form which can lead to emboli occluding smaller vessels. The occlusion of small vessels results in
ischemiaIn medicine, ischemia is a restriction in blood supply, generally due to factors in the blood vessels, with resultant damage or dysfunction of tissue...
, and contributes to
strokeA stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by thrombosis or embolism or due to a hemorrhage...
and
myocardial infarctionMyocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, is the interruption of blood supply to part of the heart, causing some heart cells to die...
, two of the leading causes of cardiovascular-related death.