Detection, generation and uses of atherosclerosis-protective endothelium

A method of determining whether test endothelial cells are in a healthy (atherosclerosis-resistant) state or a pathological (atherosclerosis-prone) state, comprising:

• a) assaying the level of a marker gene sequence in said endothelial cells, said marker gene sequence being selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1-SEQ ID NO:103;
• b) comparing the results obtained in step a) with results from similar assays performed using control endothelial cells;
• and
• c) concluding that said test endothelial cells are in a healthy state if the level of said marker gene sequence in said test sample of blood, serum or plasma is significantly higher or lower than in said control samples.

A microarray plate comprising a series of distinct immobilized oligonucleotides, wherein:

• a) at least one of said oligonucleotides hybridizes under stringent conditions specifically to a gene sequence selected from SEQ ID NO:1-SEQ ID NO:103;
• b) said oligonucleotides that hybridize under stringent conditions specifically to said gene sequence are immobilized at a location on said microarray plate that does not contain any oligonucleotides that hybridize to other sequences under stringent conditions;
• and
• c) said microarray plate contains no more than 500 distinct immobilized oligonucleotides in total.