Compared with the uninfected mice, the RNA and protein expression levels of tTG, IL-33 and ST2 significantly increased in Sj-infected mice, and the expression level of the three molecules consistently peaked at 6 weeks of infection [t-test: IL-33 (wk 6 vs wk 5: t(225) = 5.912, P < 0.0001; wk 8 vs wk 6: t(239) = 0.09706, P = 0.9228); ST2 (wk 6 vs wk 5: t(61) = 3.776, P = 0.0004; wk 8 vs wk 6: t(162) = 1.375, P = 0.1711)]. Here, IL33 is linked to infection.