In addition, paired comparison, within a single section, of both ICAM-1 and aquaporin-1 expression in endothelium overlying normal- versus atherosclerotic intimae, further excluded confounding factors and enabled us to specifically relate local loss of aquaporin-1 expression to endothelial inflammatory activation associated with successive stages of atherosclerosis. The gene discussed is AQP1; the disease is atherosclerosis.