Of the subsets, Th17 cells, named for producing interleukin 17 (IL-17) as their signature cytokine, secrete a cohort of other cytokines, including IL-22, IL-21, IL-10, IL-9, IFNγ, and GM-CSF.  In recent years, Th17 cells have emerged as key players in host defense against both extracellular pathogens and fungal infections, but they have also been implicated as one of the main drivers in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity, likely mediated in part by the cytokines that they produce. This evidence concerns the gene IL21 and fungal infectious disease.