IL6 and infection: To determine the mRNA expression levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-18, as well as the abundance of cytokines IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 in the kidneys of uninfected and PbA-infected mice at day 7 post-infection, we performed quantitative real-time PCR and CBA assays, respectively.