KITLG and infection: It is well established that human infection with avian viruses, including H7 and H5 subtypes, can lead to “cytokine storms.” Analyses of serum and plasma from hospitalized patients revealed that hypercytokinemia of pro-inflammatory mediators (MCP-1, MIF, IL-6, IL-8, IP-10) and angiogenic/growth factors (HGF, SCF) is a common factor shared by H5N1 and H7N9 infections (63, 68, 69), and can be linked to fatal disease outcomes (68).