Leukocyte adherence to the vascular endothelium is one of the earliest demonstrable events in atherosclerosis.7 Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) mediates the interaction of activated endothelial cells with leukocytes and plays a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of coronary atherosclerosis. The gene discussed is ICAM1; the disease is atherosclerosis.