IL6 and atherosclerosis: While our studies implicate cytokines such as IL-6 and GM-CSF derived from apoptotic VSMCs in AICP, apoptotic VSMCs also release chemotactic factors (MCP-1 and M-CSF [5]), and macrophages accumulate after VSMC apoptosis in atherosclerosis [1, 13]; thus, local macrophage production of VSMC mitogens might also promote VSMC AICP.