The HF + CO and HF + CO + Ex groups significantly increased IL-6 immunoreactivity compared to the HF + Ex (95% CI − 4.92 to − 0.74; p = 0.01) and HF + FO + Ex groups (95% CI − 5.19 to − 1.00; p = 0.01), respectively (Fig. 6). The gene discussed is IL6; the disease is hydrops fetalis.