Approach and Results- BALB/cJ mice carry a naturally occurring null mutation of the gene encoding the transcription factor Zhx2, and genetic analyses suggested that this may confer resistance to atherosclerosis.
We also assessed if polymorphisms implicated in the increased risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in non-rheumatic Caucasians (ZHX2, PINX1, SLC17A4, LRIG1 and LDLR) may influence the risk for CVD in RA.