Arshad et al. measured 105 phospholipids, 40 acylcarnitines, and 4 ceramides, as well as acid sphingomyelinase activity, in plasma from patients with community-acquired pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation with infection and a control group, and found that Phospholipid concentrations were greatly decreased in community-acquired pneumonia and normalized in the course of clinical improvement. The gene discussed is SMPD1; the disease is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.