In a similar pattern to that seen in the increasing IL-6 protein release induced by FCS plus TGF-β in these ASMCs,3IL6 mRNA expression is increased in healthy cells (approximately 15-fold), greater still in cells from patients with nonsevere asthma (approximately 20-fold), and increased to the highest degree in cells from patients with severe ASMCs (approximately 45-fold) when these cells are stimulated with FCS plus TGF-β (P < .01 vs unstimulated control; Fig 4, A). The gene discussed is IL6; the disease is asthma.