Thus, we selected lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7) from the enriched genes of the ‘glycolytic process' and ‘glucose homeostasis' in cluster 2, macrophage cationic peptide 2 (MCP2) and somatostatin (SST) from the enriched genes of ‘regulation of immune system process' and ‘cell migration' in cluster 4, all of which had significantly changed signal values in the formation or regression of atherosclerosis (figure 6a). This evidence concerns the gene SST and atherosclerosis.