Annotated neutrophil degranulation genes upregulated 1–6 months before diagnosis included neutrophil integrin subunit beta 2 (ITGB2/LFA1), integrin subunit alpha M (ITGAM) and integrin subunit alpha X (ITGAX) that form the transmembrane heterodimer integrin receptors ITGAM/ITGB2 (mac-1) and ITGAX/ITGB2 that facilitate the transmigration of neutrophils to infection sites [30] (Fig 4). This evidence concerns the gene ITGAX and infection.