PTGS2 and atherosclerosis: Indeed, CagA is suspected to increase cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) production in the vascular endothelium resulting in higher thromboxane (TXA2) and prostaglandins levels, both of which are known to modify platelet aggregation and contribute to atherosclerosis (Figure 3) (Byrne et al., 2003; Riad, 2021).