COL4A2 and atherosclerosis: The CARDIoGRAM consortium has highlighted numerous extracellular matrix and basement membrane genes involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, including COL4A1/COL4A2, ITGB5, and FN1. A COL4A2 variant, rs4773144, was associated with both COL4A1 and COL4A2 expression, as well as smooth muscle cell survival, and plaque stability (30).