Cystatin C (Cst3), a marker gene for kidney function, was identified in our network Cst3 is primarily a marker of kidney function, although it is found in many organs. It is a cysteine protease inhibitor, but has protective functions as well, as decreased expression has been associated with neurodegenerative diseases [49]. Like many other genes identified in our study, it is also linked to inflammation [50]. Cst3 has previously been found to be upregulated in the midbrain after ethanol exposure [51].
