{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,3]],"date-time":"2025-10-03T08:52:54Z","timestamp":1759481574834,"version":"3.44.0"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"SMW Supporting Association","issue":"1314","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2012,3,25]],"date-time":"2012-03-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1332633600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Swiss Med Wkly"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Atherosclerosis,  a progressive disease of medium- and large-sized arteries, constitutes the  major cause of death in developed countries, and is becoming increasingly  prevalent in developing countries as well. The main consequences of  atherosclerosis are myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction and aortic  aneurysm. This inflammatory disease is characterised by specific intimal  lesions where lipids, leukocytes and smooth muscle cells accumulate in the  arterial wall over time. Risk factors for atherosclerosis can mainly be divided  into two groups: i) risk factors induced by environment and behaviour (e.g.,  Western diet, smoking and sedentary lifestyle) and ii) genetic risk factors. Multiple  epidemiological studies have associated a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)  in the GJA4 gene, coding for  connexin37 (Cx37), with increased risk for atherosclerosis and myocardial  infarction. Connexins form gap junctions or hemi-channels that mediate an exchange  of factors between i) the cytosol of two adjacent cells or ii) the cytosol and  the extracellular environment, respectively. The GJA4 SNP codes for a proline-to-serine substitution at amino acid  319 in the regulatory C-terminus of the Cx37 protein, thereby altering basic and  regulatory properties of its gap junction- and hemi-channels. In this review we  discuss current evidence for mechanisms that link the GJA4SNP to atherosclerosis or thrombus formation after plaque  rupture.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4414\/smw.2012.13553","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2012,4,12]],"date-time":"2012-04-12T05:57:14Z","timestamp":1334210234000},"page":"w13553","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Risky communication in atherosclerosis and\u00a0thrombus formation"],"prefix":"10.57187","volume":"142","author":[{"given":"Merlijn J. P. M. T","family":"Meens","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Pfenniger","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Brenda R","family":"Kwak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"36756","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2012,3,25]]},"container-title":["Swiss Medical Weekly"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/smw.ch\/index.php\/smw\/article\/download\/1453\/1790","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/smw.ch\/index.php\/smw\/article\/download\/1453\/1791","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/smw.ch\/index.php\/smw\/article\/download\/1453\/1790","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,15]],"date-time":"2025-08-15T03:39:53Z","timestamp":1755229193000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/smw.ch\/index.php\/smw\/article\/view\/1453"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2012,3,25]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1314","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2012,3,26]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4414\/smw.2012.13553","relation":{},"ISSN":["1424-3997"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"1424-3997"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2012,3,25]]}}}