SLC22A11 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: In the identified region of chromosome 11 we were able to pinpoint four strong candidate genes for the association with COPD, i.e., SLC22A11, AHNAK, PLCB3, and MTL5. The most interesting finding is the rare variant in SLC22A11 (solute carrier family 22 member 11), which encodes an integral membrane protein and part of the family of OATs, known to mediate the absorption and elimination of endogenous and exogenous organic anions and as such, are involved in the pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and safety profiles in a wide range of drugs (Bosquillon, 2010).