Fourteen cytokines or chemokines were analysed on 88 RT-PCR-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome [18] patients.IFN-gamma, IL-18, TGF-beta, IL-6, IP-10, MCP-1, MIG, and IL-8, but not of TNF-alpha, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-13, or TNFRI, were highly elevated in the acute phase sera of Taiwan SARS patients.IL-18, IP-10, MIG, and MCP-1 were significantly higher in the death group than in the survival groupAn interferon-gamma-related cytokine storm was induced post SARS coronavirus infection, and this cytokine storm might be involved in the immunopathological damage in SARS patients. This evidence concerns the gene IL6 and severe acute respiratory syndrome.