Some reports have indicated that interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and IL-1β contribute to EV71-induced brain stem encephalitis (BE) and pulmonary edema (PE) [24,25], and highly increased levels of IL-10, IL-13 and interferon γ (IFN-γ) have been detected in plasma of EV71-infected patients with PE [26]. This evidence concerns the gene TNF and pulmonary edema.