Although lung epithelial cells could play a role during the activation of immune response in the early steps of anthrax infection, it should be, however, kept in mind that other pulmonary cell types such AMs, whose cytokine production is repressed by LT (our unpublished data), may contribute to the inhibitory effect of LT on lung IL-8/KC production. The gene discussed is CALCA; the disease is anthrax infection.