In the serum and lung during the early stages of infection, there was increased expression of inflammatory cytokines/chemokines, including interleukin-1α (IL-1α), IL-5, IL-8, IL-12, IL-13, and IL-17a, which correlated with the pathological changes in the lungs and may play a key role in causing lung edema as well as lung injury in the middle and late stages of infection. The gene discussed is IL17A; the disease is infection.