ITGA2 and Hypertension: 2003), and a downregulation of thrombospondin 1 (Thbs1), a transcript involved in antiangiogenic activity, and integrins (Itga2, Itgax, Itgab2), signal transducers involved in determining endothelial cell morphology, migration, proliferation, differentiation, and survival that are known to be reduced during heart failure and hypertension (Ross and Borg 2001; Manso et al. 2009).