SPARC and tuberculosis: GSEA and hierarchical clustering analysis of TB and NC transcriptional profiles revealed numerous ossification-related genes over-expressed in TB lungs, such as RUNX2, a vital transcriptional regulator of osteoblast differentiation and bone formation, and osteogenic marker genes IBSP, SPP1, POSTN, BGLAP, and SPARC (Supplementary Fig. 9a, b).