A recent family based epigenome wide association study (EWAS) in predominantly smoking adults, reported a positive correlation between hypomethylation at two CpGs in SERPINA1 gene promoter from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease risk (Qiu et al., 2012). The gene discussed is SERPINA1; the disease is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.