We measured IL1β as an early marker of sepsis in our model as it is one of the cytokines most strongly associated with sepsis and, in both human and experimental septic models, has been shown to act as an ‘initiator’ cytokine that stimulates a cytokine cascade, ultimately driving many of the physiological changes seen in sepsis (Blackwell & Christman 1996). This evidence concerns the gene IL1B and Sepsis.