Interestingly, in rats whose ears were inoculated with Streptococcus pneumoniae, one of the most common pathogens in otitis media, scn1b, muc2 and muc5 were among the genes upregulated [37], although polymorphisms of SCN1B do not appear to have been investigated in COME/ROM previously. The gene discussed is MUC5AC; the disease is otitis media.