NLRP3 and carotid atherosclerosis: In a clinical study [23], The expression of NLRP3 mRNA was significantly higher in patients with diabetes combined with carotid atherosclerosis than in patients with T2DM alone, and NLRP3 inflammatory vesicle pathway activity was found to be significantly increased in AS and T2DM patients in the early stages of carotid atherosclerosis.