CCL2 and atherosclerosis: The MMPs exacerbate the process of valvular stenosis and activate the NF-κB pathway, leading to the production of several cytokines, such as IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1 (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1) involved in both pathological processes, namely atherosclerosis and CAVD (Deshmane et al., 2009).