IL6 and infection: Infection is common after stroke, affecting 25-35% of the patients.[72, 73] In some cases, the infection may precede the stroke and has been implicated in the causation.[74] Vila et al. found that IL-6 levels were associated with higher temperatures and larger infarctions in a cohort of patients without infection.[75] Audebert et al. found that the CRP, white cell count and temperature were high in the acute phase of stroke, but normalized within days of successful thrombolysis.[76] These results suggest that ischemic or infarcted brain tissue promotes inflammation and hyperthermia.