A targeted metabolomic investigation of the plasma pattern of families burdened with early onset cardiovascular disease revealed decreased linoleic acid (LA) and AA as biomarkers[42] because the adequate amounts of EPA, DHA, LA, and AA synthesized and released by ECs can prevent aggregation of platelets on their surface and decrease the expression of adhesion molecules and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β, IL-2,IL-6 and TNF-α, so that atherosclerosis would not occur. Here, TNF is linked to atherosclerosis.