Inflammatory mechanisms in atherosclerosis – A critical appraisal
To be held in Budapest, November 3-4, 2005
Invitation
Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease with multifactorial etiology. In the last years a large body of evidence accumulated supporting this statement. More and more information indicates that inflammatory reactions are present from the very early stages of atherosclerosis till the rupture of a plaque. This process is influenced by several environmental (infections, smoking, etc.) and genetic factors. However, there are quite a lot of open questions or unconvinced points in this large and complex picture, such us the trigger of inflammation in the vessel wall, the role of infections in the development of atherosclerosis, interactions between risk factors and inflammation, and whether inflammatory mediators (i.e. C-reactive protein, complement, etc.) are passive markers or active participants in the immuno-inflammatory mechanisms in atherogenesis.
Although the inflammatory nature of atherosclerosis is getting broadly accepted in the general scientific community, there is a room for discussion on specific topics in this area. We plan to organize a scientific symposium to provide a possibility for this discussion on the above. The aim of the meeting would be to highlight up-to-date information and to put leading researchers of the area in touch with each other and generate fruitful discussion on open or controversial topics.
Here, we would like to invite immunologists, clinicians and researchers and students for the upcoming Semmelweis Symposium to be held in Budapest between 3-4th of November, 2005. The title of the symposium is: Semmelweis Symposium: Inflammatory mechanisms in atherosclerosis – A critical appraisal. The Semmelweis Symposium is an annual international activity at the Semmelweis University. In 2005 the topic of the symposium will be focused on the role of inflammation in atherosclerosis. The symposium will be supported by EC supported “ATHERNET” project (www.athernet.hu). The following organizations will also support the conference: Hungarian Society for Immunology, Hungarian Society for Atherosclerosis.
There will be a limited (invitation-based) number of oral presentations; you have the opportunity to present your results as free poster. Four abstracts will be selected for short-talks (1/topic).
There is early registration and abstract submission, with the deadline of June, 1. Abstracts submitted till this deadline will be published in official congress issue of Molecular Immunology. Late submission and registration will be possible till 30th of September, these abstracts will be printed only in the program book of the conference.
The tentative topics of the Symposium are:
- Role of inflammation in atherosclerosis
- Role of infection and autoimmunity in atherosclerosis
- Role of genetic factors behind inflammatory mechanisms in atherosclerosis
- Role of innate immunity in atherogenesis
Confirmed invited speakers are:
Gérard Arlaud (Grenoble):
Modified low density lipoproteins differentially bind and activate the C1 complex of complement
Sucharit Bhakdi (Mainz): Pathogenesis of atherosclerosis: the Mainz hypothesis
Stefan Blankenberg (Mainz): Inflammation and atherosclerosis: The role of genetic diversity and intermediate phenotpyes
Michael Carrol (Boston):
Innate Autoimmunity: Inflammatory response against stress induced self-ligands
Mohamed R. Daha (Leiden):
Role of complement in inflammation processes.
Gordon Duff (Sheffield):
Genetic variation at the Interleukin-1 locus as a risk factor for atherosclerosis and clinical events
George Füst (Budapest):
Immunogenetic factors in atherosclerosis
Peter Garred (Copenhagen): Title pending
Vilmundur Guðnason (Rejkyavik): Inflammatory markers in the prospective Reykjavik study
Mikko Hurme (Tampere):
Genetic control of inflammatory cell/T cell interactions
Graham A. Pockley (Sheffield):
Circulating heat shock proteins and atherosclerosis
Zoltán Prohászka (Budapest):
Regulation of anti-heat shock protein antibody levels in health and disease
Gerd Schmitz (Regensburg): Genetic factors affecting macrophage function in atherosclerosis
Georg Wick (Innsbruck): Atherosclerosis: Avoid stress now-worry about cholesterol later
Scientific Advisory Board: Organizing Committee
Gérard Arlaud (Grenoble) László Cervenák (secretary)
Mohamed R. Daha (Leiden) Imre Kacskovics
George Füst (Budapest) István Karádi
Peter Garred (Copenhagen) György Parragh
Mikko Hurme (Tampere) Zoltán Prohászka (chairman)
Zoltán Prohászka (Budapest) László Romics
Mahavir Singh (Braunschweig) Lajos Szollár
Lilian Varga
Congress venue: Thermal Hotel Helia****, Budapest
Conference Secretariat:Diamond Congress Ltd.
H-1027 Budapest, Fõ u. 68, Hungary
Phones: +36 1 214-7701, 214-7698, 225-0210
Fax: + 36 1 201-2680
Scientific correspondence:
Zoltán Prohászka, MD, PhD
Chair of the Conference
IIIrd Department of Medicine, Semmelweis University
H-1125 Budapest, Kutvölgyi st. 4.
Tel.: +361-2129351/+361-3551122/379
FAX: +361-2129351
e-mail: prohoz@kut.sote.hu
We guarantee you special Hungarian hospitality and friendly milieu during the meeting. The scientific value of our symposium is based on the contribution of invited speakers and their high quality research work together with the discussion of the posters. We hope that you find the program of the Symposium interesting and we will be able to welcome you in November in Budapest!
Yours, with best regards
Zoltán Prohászka Budapest, 2005-02-18
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