Interestingly, the treatment of oxLDL upregulated HMGB1 in cultured SMCs unveiling the DAMP effect; however, S100B was decreased in both LDL and oxLDL groups suggesting HMGB1 to be the strong mediator in triggering sterile inflammation via the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in carotid atherosclerosis. Here, NLRP3 is linked to carotid atherosclerosis.