The expression of 38 proteins in the acute-phase response signalling pathway changed over the course of the infection (Table 6), with maximum upregulation observed from as early as 42 h, e.g. for HRG and alpha-2-macroglobulin, to as late as 312 h for complement C1 subcomponent and retinol-binding protein. The gene discussed is A2M; the disease is infection.