Previous clinical and experimental studies have demonstrated that IL-1β, as a pro-atherogenic cytokine, is involved in atherosclerosis progression, suggesting that NLRP3 inflammasome is presumably a key element in atherosclerotic pathogenesis.153,184 Indeed, the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome is increased in the plaques and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of atherosclerosis patients, which possibly reflected the severity of atherosclerosis. This evidence concerns the gene IL1B and atherosclerosis.