Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which immune mechanisms including monocytes and their associated chemokines and chemokines receptors are involved at all stages of atherosclerotic disease development . Chronic HIV infection is also a state of systemic inflammation. MONOCYTES PLAY A direct role in atherosclerotic lesion formation. Bone marrow-derived circulating blood monocytes are found in atherosclerotic lesions. These monocytes differentiate into tissue macrophages and subsequently foam cells. In humans, two populations of monocyte have been distinguished: Expansion of the cd monocyte subset has been described in HIV infection.