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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Int J Hematol Res. 2015 Jul 6;1(2):52–56. doi: 10.17554/j.issn.2409-3548.2015.01.12

Figure 1. Roles and mechanisms of macrophages in BAVM pathogenesis.

Figure 1

Macrophages infiltrate the brain angiogenic region, which secretes inflammatory cytokines promoting abnormal vascular remodeling and impairing vascular integrity. Impaired vascular integrity increases vascular leakage or causes vessel rupture. Red blood cells get into the brain tissue, break down, and release hemoglobin and iron. Macrophages engulf the iron and process it into hemosiderin. Macrophages containing hemosiderin produce more inflammatory cytokines that further impair vascular integrity and promote lesion progression.