The seven that were equally expressed between cases and controls (adjusted P > 0.1), including WT1, SOX10, PAX7, HOXA11, HOXD12, NKX6-1 and SCRT1, could contribute to ILD pathogenesis through differences in protein levels or localization, differential binding to cis-regulatory elements or chromatin-level differences in addition to or instead of differential transcription factor abundance. The gene discussed is HOXD12; the disease is interstitial lung disease.