In the Strategies for Management of Antiretroviral Therapy (SMART) study, increased levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 6 (IL-6) and of D-dimer, a marker of fibrinolysis, predicted all-cause mortality in persons with treated HIV infection, and impaired liver function among hepatitis co-infected patients [7], [8]. The gene discussed is IL6; the disease is hepatitis A virus infection.