IL6 and colitis: In this study we investigated whether and how intestinal colonization with E. coli mpk or B. vulgatus mpk differentially modulates activation, maturation and IL-6 production of intestinal lamina propria (LP) DC in IL-2−/−-mice prior to onset of colitis and whether differential modulation of LP DC might have an impact on induction or prevention of colitis in gnotobiotic IL-2−/−-mice in vivo.