Concentrations of IFN-γ, although positively correlated with other Th1 promoting cytokines in our study, were more closely associated with concentrations of IL-12p70 and IL-2 in HA patients, and these three cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-12p70, and IL-2) were significantly higher in patients in the very acute stage of infections (S1 and S2 Tables), consistent with their known importance in early inflammatory responses. This evidence concerns the gene IFNG and infection.