In response to bacterial stimulation, the immune response of cells in the epidermis was found to be dependent on the depth of tissue being impacted by the infection; natural HDPs such as hBD-2 and hBD-3 were upregulated in the upper epidermis, whereas pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β and IL-6, were mainly induced in the lower layers of the epidermis51. Here, IL6 is linked to infection.