Promoter methylation of IRF4 (p < 0.001), ELMO1 (p < 0.001), CLIP4 (p < 0.001), and MSC (p < 0.001), is strongly associated with increasing severity of disease in the histological progression from gastritis with no metaplasia, to gastritis with metaplasia, to gastric adenocarcinoma (Figure 3). The gene discussed is IRF4; the disease is gastritis.