As presented in Table 4 and Fig. 6D. The correlation analysis showed the positive association between VNN2 expression level and indicators of neutrophil adherence and migration, including ITGAL, ITGAM, ITGAX, ICAM2, ICAM3 and ICAM4, in periodontitis in both two datasets (R = 0.40–0.69, p < 0.0001, moderate). This evidence concerns the gene ITGAX and periodontitis.