In a study of pediatric patients with acute respiratory failure who were intubated and received respiratory support with mechanical ventilation, Carlton et al. reported no significant correlation between functional deterioration and serum IL-8 and TM levels on the first day of intubation, but serum TM levels were higher on the second and third days in patients with deteriorated functional status than those without [14]. The gene discussed is CXCL8; the disease is acute respiratory failure.