However, given the link between chronic low-level inflammation of IL-6 and IL-8, and several diseases such as atherosclerosis and Type 2 diabetes [66, 78], further research is needed to determine if wildland firefighters’ IL-6 and IL-8 levels are chronically elevated following repeated firefighting deployments across a fire season and over multiple fire seasons. The gene discussed is CXCL8; the disease is type 2 diabetes mellitus.