In humans, a recent study used Luminex assays to assess mucosal cytokines in microscopic colitis patients, where 10 analytes were examined in 10 control patients, 3 UC patients, and 25 microscopic colitis patients [25]; increases in IL-6 and IL-21 protein were detected in collagenous colitis, but no increases in any analytes were detected in UC tissues, due most likely to the small number of patients studied. The gene discussed is IL21; the disease is microscopic colitis.