Analysis of cytokines induction in infected human alveolar epithelial cells with the M and F viruses as well as the seasonal A/New/Caledonia/20/99 (NC) strain revealed that F virus infection induces earlier and higher levels of IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, GM-CSF and RANTES than M or NC infections (Fig. 3). The gene discussed is CXCL8; the disease is infection.