IL6 and infection: Infection with NTHi is also associated with transcriptional upregulation of cytokines CCL2 (MCP1), TNF, IL-1β, IL-6, CXCL8 and alarmins (TSLP, IL-33 and IL-25) (Khair et al, 1996; Patel et al., 2002; Sajjan et al., 2006; Meunier et al., 2015).