We used the Web-based tool FastSNP [41] available at http:// fastsnp.ibms.sinica.edu.tw for predicting the functional significance of the SNPs associated with IPA infection. FastSNP utilizes information from another online program PolyPhen (http://www. bork.embl-heidelberg.de/PolyPhen/) and from four different web resources (TFSearch, ESEfinder, Rescue-ESE and FAS-ESS) to determine whether SNPs are located at exonic splicing regulatory sites, cause a non-conservative amino acid change or whether they alter the transcription factor-binding site of a gene (for instance, acting as intronic enhancer). The score was given by this tool on the basis of levels of risk with a ranking of 0 (no effect), 1 (very low), 2 (low), 3 (medium), 4 (high), or 5 (very high).