Through iron–sulfur conversion, IREB2 mainly records cytoplasmic iron status.10 IREB2 variants are associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).11 There is an increase in IREB2 levels in lung tissue samples from COPD patients, suggesting that IREB2 is a potential new gene associated with COPD susceptibility.12 At the same time, lung cancer and COPD may share common genetic and environmental susceptibility factors.13 In addition, Liet al14 constructed an ischemia–reperfusion injury model of steatohepatitis and an HR model of steatohepatitis cells (SHP-HR). This evidence concerns the gene IREB2 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.