Sections of human atherosclerotic lesions of different stages show that, in early lesions, the
acellular lipid core is usually immediately adjacent to the deepest edge of a collection of
macrophage foam cells. Advanced lesions with a large lipid core have variable numbers of
macrophage foam cells, close to the lateral edges, or shoulders, of the core. In both early
and advanced lesions, some of the macrophages nearest the core appear to be dying. Lipid
cores contain two materials which in earlier lesions are found only in macrophages, namely …