A functional variant alters binding of activating protein 1 regulating expression of FGF7 gene associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of a large cohort of subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have successfully identified multiple risk genes, including fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF7). However, the underlying molecular mechanism influencing function of FGF7 and risk of COPD remains further study.