IL6 and infection: Overall, this study suggests that children with SM may have an immature immune system typical of early childhood, consisting in a greater dependence on innate immune responses for protection against infections [59], lower Th1-polarizing cytokine responses (i.e. IL-12) [60,61] and a bias of Toll-Like receptor-mediated responses towards acute phase (i.e. IL-1β and IL-6) and IL-10 responses [60].