Studies to understand the regulation of VE-cadherin cleavage have important clinical implications, as shedding of VE-cadherin has been shown to be a pathogenic mediator in RA (33), sepsis, and other inflammatory states, facilitating both vascular leakage and leukocyte transmigration (32, 34, 65, 66). The gene discussed is CDH5; the disease is rheumatoid arthritis.