This finding, together with our interest in elucidating the role of IL-1 isoforms in compensatory vascular remodeling, prompted a head-to-head comparison of the effects of each IL-1 isoform in human cells relevant to atherosclerosis and in ex-vivo in human carotid endarterectomy specimens, and complemented the study with examination of the expression of IL-1 isoforms and MMP-3 in human atheromata. This evidence concerns the gene MMP3 and atherosclerosis.