Already in the 1990s, the views began to emerge that immunological factors are significantly associated with the onset and development of the atherosclerotic process. In 2001, the European Society for Atherosclerosis in Geneva organized a symposium called "Immune System in Atherosclerosis".
More than 200 scientists and clinical specialists presented new data that testified to a significant proportion of immunological factors in the development of atherosclerotic processes. According to current views, the artery is a tertiary lymphoid organ (Artery Tertiary Lymphoid Organ - ATLO) with a variable cellular structure that produces a number of immunocompetent factors that directly and indirectly affect the course of the disease.
The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the current view of the complex role of ATLO in the development and development of atherosclerosis.