Using histopathological method the authors compared the atherosclerotic lesion of the aorta in 241 cases of young adults collected from both high morbidity area of Beijing(104 cases) and low prevalence district of Nanning(137 cases).Causes of death were violence and traffic accident. Victims ages were 15~39 years.Intimas of aortae were divided into normal and type Ⅰ~Ⅴ ofatherosclerotic lesion. The result showed that the total prevalence of all types of atherosclerosis of aorta was significantly higher in Beijing group (62.5%) than in Nanning(53.1%). The detection rate of early lesion(typeⅠ+Ⅱ) was similar in the 2 groups. However, prevalence of intermediate(type Ⅲ) and advanced lesion(type Ⅳ+Ⅴ)in Beijing group was considerably higher than those Nanning (14.4% vs 8.7% and 6.9% vs 3.4%, p<0. 05 respectively). Lymphocytic intiltration in intima was more freguently encounted in type Ⅱand type Ⅲ in Beijing group than in Nanning (27.6% vs 8.9% and 93.5% vs 75.0%,p<0. 01 respectively).No significant difference in lymphocytic infiltration between the 2 groups was found in lesion of type Ⅰ, Ⅳ and Ⅴ. This data indicates that the difference of the atherosclerotic lesion existed in both high morbidity area of Beijing and low prevalence district of Nanning is mainly the different prevalence of intermediate(type Ⅲ) and advanced lesion(type Ⅳ+Ⅴ), and close relationship might exist between lymphocytes and atherosclerosis as well.