We sought to investigate whether levels of circulating inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β) reflect the local vascular expression of these inflammatory molecules in different types of blood vessels (internal mammary artery and left anterior descending artery) of patients with advanced cardiovascular diseases [coronary artery disease patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, and patients with end-stage heart failure undergoing heart transplantation]. Here, IL6 is linked to coronary artery disorder.