CHI3L1 and autoimmune disease: Other genes involved in inflammation and infection control that have not previously been linked to Bb infection were observed as well, most notably tumor necrosis factor superfamily member tnfsf18 and chi3l1. TNFSF18 (GITRL) modulates T lymphocyte survival, and both TNFSF18 and its cognate receptor have been implicated in a number of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases in both human patients and experimental models of systemic lupus erythematosus, autoimmune encephalomyelitis, arthritis, and autoimmune diabetes [43–46].