To elucidate the mechanisms responsible for this phenotype, Abt et al. [291], using a C57BL/6 mouse model, bone-marrow derived macrophages, and other cellular models, demonstrated that PNP inhibition caused a robust increase in interleukin-6 (IL-6), a cytokine associated with autoimmunity and inflammation [295]. This evidence concerns the gene IL6 and Autoimmunity.