The previously unnoticed association between MetS and sepsis transcripts is a striking and non-trivial one, both since we compared blood to liver transcripts and because SIRS may by itself lead to downregulation of some transcripts; indeed, certain MetS-modified transcripts (e.g., angiopoietin 2) showed elevated levels in SIRS compared to sepsis. This evidence concerns the gene ANGPT2 and metabolic syndrome.