CCR2 and atherosclerosis: Saskia et al. [18] have demonstrated that GDF-15 is progressively expressed in atherosclerotic lesions in a pattern similar to that of macrophages and GDF-15 deficiency protected against atherosclerosis by attenuating CCR2-mediated macrophage chemotaxis, indicating that GDF-15 knockout has a beneficial effect both in early and later atherosclerosis.