CCN1 and atherosclerosis: However, it has been reported that CCN1 gene expression is significantly increased in ApoE-/- rat aorta and human carotid artery atherosclerotic plaques and that the CCN1 gene may be involved in monocyte adhesion and migration during atherosclerosis, wherein activated monocytes adhere to CCN1 in a dependent manner through integrin αMβ2 and thereby accelerate monocyte migration to the vascular wall and promote the formation of atherosclerotic plaques [22, 23].