Finally, pQTL replication analyses at the protein level corroborated our findings (Supplementary Table S9C), revealing that higher circulating levels of ERBB3 (Erb-B2 receptor tyrosine kinase 3) were associated with increased sepsis risk (βIVW = 0.314, p = 1.09 × 10-2), while elevated NME4 (NME/NM23 nucleoside diphosphate kinase 4) levels were linked to higher 28-day mortality (βIVW = 0.448, p = 6.78 × 10-3). The gene discussed is ERBB3; the disease is Sepsis.