NEXN and atherosclerosis: We also found that atherosclerotic genes were expressed in the three layers of the ascending aorta: ABCA1, LDLR, CD40, APOE, TLR2, HMGB1, CCL2, UBA1, and ADAMTS4; genes that were highly expressed in the tunica intima and medial were ALDH2, CD47, TIMP3, and NEXN, and genes that were highly expressed in the tunica adventitia were CAD, CD36, TLR4, FH, RBP4, ACE, ADAM10, and VLDLR. Combined with the patient’s history, we found that hypertension did cause aortic dissection, and atherosclerosis was an important risk factor for aortic dissection, a result consistent with those of previous studies.