In animals that were unable to control infection, an up-regulation of IFNG was not observed at six weeks post-challenge; consequently, the high iron-transferrin in the blood caused by the acute phase response would result in the unidirectional and coordinated up-regulation of TFRC and intracellular ferritin content, and this was observed in samples taken at post-mortem during end-stage disease. Here, TFRC is linked to infection.