Participants had baseline plasma samples obtained on study enrollment and on follow-up 3 to 5 days later to measure markers of innate immunity (IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNFr1, ST2, fractalkine), epithelial injury (sRAGE), endothelial injury (angiopoietin-2), and host response to bacterial infections (procalcitonin, pentraxin-3). The gene discussed is PTX3; the disease is bacterial infectious disease.