Other plasma factors, including vascular cell adhesion molecule 1(VCAM-1), von Willebrand factor (vWF), vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF), macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC), stem cell factor (SCF), showed similar cross-reaction and demonstrated relative increases (VCAM-1) or no change (vWF, VEGF, MDC, SCF, Figure 8, data not shown), during the course of infection. The gene discussed is VEGFA; the disease is infection.