The rheumatic disease-associated FAM167A-BLK locus encodes DIORA-1, a novel disordered protein expressed highly in bronchial epithelium and alveolar macrophages.

Triggering of autoimmunity that leads to rheumatic disease has been suggested to depend upon gene-environment interactions occurring in epithelial barriers and associated immune cells. Genetic studies have identified associations of the FAM167A-BLK locus with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Sjögren's syndrome. While BLK (B lymphocyte kinase) has a well-established role in B cells, family with sequence similarity to 167 member A (FAM167A) and its gene family remain uncharacterized.