An impressive increase in OCTN2 mRNA levels and OCTN1 and 2 protein expression was observed if an inflammatory reaction (representative of epithelial inflammation in asthma) was induced by exposing to microbe-specific stimulus LPS or HDM the ALI Calu-3 layers, an in vitro model anatomically similar to the native bronchial epithelium [114]. The gene discussed is SLC22A4; the disease is asthma.