Identification of novel candidate genes in East Asian COPD patients by the functional summary-based imputation and the unified test for molecular signatures:a transcriptome-wide association study

To the Editor:Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD),a clinical syndrome encompassing a spectrum of chronic,progressive,and debilitating respiratory disorders,is increasingly recognized as a multisystemic heterogeneous disease.[1]Because the characteristics of East Asian COPD patients differ from those of Westerners,it would be practical to investigate whether variations in COPD genetic performance exist between East Asian and Western populations.