CCL2 and atherosclerosis: In diabetes, RAGE activation induces a variety of inflammatory cytokines resulting from the NF-κB activation, including TNF-α, IL-6 and MCP-1, in the vascular system [50–52], and these relevant inflammatory cytokines contribute to the development of early atherosclerosis [53]; in addition, with adhesion molecules, MCP-1 contributes to the transmigration and infiltration of monocytes to endothelia [54, 55].