Of interest, increased plasma levels of Endothelin (ET-1), a potent endothelium-derived vasoconstrictive peptide, have been found in non-insulin-dependent diabetic (NIDDM) patients, prospecting ET-1 as new marker of vascular damage in diabetic subjects (Laurenti et al., 1997). The gene discussed is EDN1; the disease is type 2 diabetes mellitus.