Here, following oophorectomy and UTI induction, mice treated with 17β-estradiol had significantly lower IL-6 plasma concentrations (Fig. 5A, p < 0.05) with no significant change in sIL-6R concentrations (Fig. 5B, p > 0.05) in plasma collected 3 days following UTI induction. This evidence concerns the gene IL6R and bacterial urinary tract infection.