However, as a consequence of hypercholesterolemia, blood monocytes can be recruited into the intima where they can give rise to phenotypically similar monocyte-derived CD11b+ DC populations making it difficult to observe a relative contribution of cDC derived from pre-DC versus those derived from monocytes in the context of atherosclerosis. The gene discussed is ITGAM; the disease is familial hypercholesterolemia.