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A study published in Nature Cardiovascular Research on 7 September 2026 reports that atherosclerosis meets the defining criteria of an autoimmune disease.
The work was carried out by an international consortium led by Professor Andreas Habenicht of LMU University Hospital and Professor Changjun Yin of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou.
Researchers identified high-affinity autoreactive antibodies which, when transferred into mice, accelerated atherosclerosis; one such antibody targeted histone 2B.
Vaccinating mice with histone 2B increased the severity of atherosclerosis, and the findings were validated in a clinical study of 495 patients from the general population in Guangzhou.
Atherosclerosis is the build-up of plaque inside arteries and is the underlying cause of coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, carotid artery disease and several other conditions.
Arteriosclerosis is the general hardening and thickening of arteries, which can arise from several causes. Atherosclerosis is one common type of it, caused specifically by plaque — cholesterol, fat, blood cells, calcium and other substances — building up inside the artery and narrowing it.
Simple Analogy: Arteriosclerosis is a stiffened pipe; atherosclerosis is a pipe furred up from inside.
| Condition | Arteries affected | Main consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Coronary artery disease (CAD) | Arteries of the heart | Angina, heart attack |
| Peripheral artery disease (PAD) | Arteries carrying blood away from the heart, most often to the legs | Limb pain, muscle weakness, risk of limb loss |
| Carotid artery disease | Neck arteries | Reduced blood flow to the brain, stroke |
| Renal artery stenosis | Arteries supplying the kidneys | Impaired kidney blood supply |
| Vertebral artery disease | Arteries supplying the back of the brain | Reduced posterior cerebral circulation |
| Mesenteric artery ischemia | Arteries supplying the intestines | Compromised intestinal blood supply |
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A condition in which high-affinity B cells or T cells attack the body's own tissue, causing organ damage — as in multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.
A sticky deposit of cholesterol, fat, blood cells, calcium and other blood-borne substances that builds up inside an artery, hardens over time and narrows it.
An antibody produced by the immune system that binds to the body's own proteins rather than to a foreign invader.