Patients with cardiovascular disease have increased levels of memory CD4+ T cells with an effector phenotype (TEM, T effector memory) compared to age and sex matched healthy controls; this finding is paralleled by the positive correlation of circulating TEM levels with the extent of the atherosclerotic plaque in experimental models, or with the severity of atherosclerosis associated CV events in humans (68). The gene discussed is CD4; the disease is cardiovascular disorder.