In addition, the complement pathway gene C3, an important component of the innate immune response and previously found to be elevated in SARS patients44, and autophagy (FGG, FGA, PTPN11) genes are also significantly dysregulated in many CLD epithelial cells; these pathways are important for propagating viral infection and the host response45–47. Here, SLC26A3 is linked to viral infectious disease.