To examine whether mycobacterial infection exacerbates atherosclerosis development in experimental conditions, we infected low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout (Ldlr-/-) mice with Mycobacterium bovis Bacille-Calmette-Guérin (BCG), an attenuated strain of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. The gene discussed is VLDLR; the disease is atherosclerosis.