To date, the following have been considered biomarkers of atherosclerosis: anti-cardiolipin antibodies, antibodies to b2-glycoprotein I, dimethylarginine, resistin, leptin, neopterin, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), myeloperoxidase (MPO), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), serum amyloid A (SAA), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and E-selectin. The gene discussed is MMP9; the disease is atherosclerosis.