To rule out differences in the cecal bacterial composition of WT and Nod2−/− mice might affect sepsis, cecal contents obtained from WT or Nod2−/− mice were injected i.p. into WT and Nod2−/− mice after their ceca had been ligated but not punctured and WT and Nod2−/− mice were cohoused for 4 weeks. This evidence concerns the gene NOD2 and Sepsis.