The authors found that in comparison to controls and diabetics with no angiographic evidence of atherosclerosis, patients with asymptomatic atherosclerosis had elevated numbers of circulating platelet-derived (CD41a+) and endothelial-derived (CD144+/CD31+ or CD144+) MPs in addition to MPs from procoagulant endothelial cells (CD31+/annexin V+). The gene discussed is CDH5; the disease is atherosclerosis.