It may be suggested that with expanding obesity the increase of resistin and TNF-α and secondarily of IL-6 and IL-1b expression from monocytes/macrophages that infiltrate the stroma of the adipose tissue and/or the vascular endothelium could enhance the effects of their adipocyte-derived levels, and thus may contribute to the risk of atherosclerosis that accompanies obesity and type 2 diabetes. The gene discussed is RETN; the disease is type 2 diabetes mellitus.