This receptor mediates the intracellular uptake of hepatitis C virus (HCV),23 thereby facilitating viral infection and increasing glandular inflammation.23, –25 Chronic HCV infection, in turn, is linked to an enhanced prevalence of keratoconjunctivitis sicca26 and mimics the clinical manifestations of Sjögren syndrome.24,25,27,28 In addition, ASGPR is an autoantigenic target of both T and B cells.29 However, the ASGPR1 gene was also upregulated in lacrimal tissues of female NOD mice, which indicates that it is not a strain-independent inducer of inflammation. The gene discussed is ASGR1; the disease is viral infectious disease.