Infection led to a similar loss of cecal goblet cells (i.e. depletion) in Il18−/− and WT mice (Figure 6b,c), however the goblet cells remaining in the Il18−/− mice were significantly larger (mean diameter of 9.32 μm) than those in their WT littermates (mean diameter of 6.84 μm; Figure 6d). The gene discussed is IL18; the disease is infection.