ITGB4 and atherosclerosis: Genetic elements are of importance for the elevated risk of atherosclerosis and many genes have been implicated in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis [7,8], including integrin beta 4 (ITGB4) [9], intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) [10], and natriuretic peptide receptor 1 (NPR1) [11].