More importantly, we predicted a series of mechanisms for which a role in emphysema development is not yet well documented, e.g. transcriptional activity of spleen focus forming virus (SFFV) proviral integration oncogene (SFPI1, aka.PU.1), signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT)-1, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP), forkhead box M1 (FOXM1), Yin and Yang (YY)-1, nuclear receptor corepressor (N-COR), increased protein expression of IL-17, or decreased protein expression of integrin Beta-6 (ITGB6) and cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). This evidence concerns the gene CFTR and pulmonary emphysema.