Using this method, we identified several hepatic regulators related to lipid metabolism (SC5D, LCAT and HMGCR), inflammation (IL1A) and fibrosis (PDGF and COL3A1) that were linked to a set of aorta target genes related to vascular inflammation (TNFA) and atherosclerosis signaling (CCL2 and FDFT1). Here, COL3A1 is linked to atherosclerosis.