The dual specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6), DNA polymerase beta (POLB); and solute carrier family 3 member 2 (SLC3A2) genes only had in vitro experimental evidence, and paired immunoglobin like type 2 receptor alpha (PILRA), SRSF protein kinase 2 (SRPK2), ring finger protein 1 (RNF1) and tripartite motif containing 33 (TRIM33) might be related to the pathogenesis of ARDS, as shown in Additional file 6: Table S2. Here, PILRA is linked to acute respiratory distress syndrome.