Though located nearly 400 kilobase pairs from the associated SNPs, the gene glycophorin A (GYPA) is the nearest known proximal gene and lies adjacent to its homolog GYPB. Glycophorins are proteins of the red blood cell membrane, and glycophorin expression has been shown to be lower among COPD patients than controls [26]. Here, GYPA is linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.