Our discovery that IL-6 signaling (e.g., SOCS3) is the major upregulated pathway in ex vivo-purified Th2 lymphocytes during the earliest time window of insect-venom AIT (8-24 h) is further supported by a uniformly detectable peak of increased serum IL-6 cytokine levels in VAP only. Here, SOCS3 is linked to ventilator-associated pneumonia.