In SLE patients, serum BAFF levels were positively associated with subclinical atherosclerosis [21] and administration of belimumab restored, both ex vivo and in vitro, the quantitative and qualitative changes of endothelial progenitor cells, whose impairment is associated with increased subclinical atherosclerosis [22]. The gene discussed is TNFSF13B; the disease is systemic lupus erythematosus.