Aiming to define upstream inducers of CRELD2 in ECs, we found that exposing HCAECs to simulated ischemia–reperfusion (IR) enhanced CRELD2 mRNA expression, whereas exposing the cells to simulated ischemia alone, or stimulating them with inflammatory cytokines, chemokines or angiogenic growth factors involved in infarct repair, did not (Fig. 2a). This evidence concerns the gene CRELD2 and ischemia.