IL-6 can also cause direct damage to the endothelial cells, and its elevated levels may be linked to a higher risk of relapse and poor prognosis [23], but its level is still typically lower than in the serum of patients with acute ongoing infection, which in turn may be explained as the result of prolonged immune activation and, probably, at least in part, by immunosuppressive treatment [24]. This evidence concerns the gene IL6 and infection.