When compared to tissue resected from the same infants at re-anastomosis following recovery from NEC and non-inflamed tissue from healthy control infants, intestinal tissue resected from NEC infants showed elevated pro-inflammatory (IL1B, IL1A, IL36A, IL36B, IL36G) and reduced anti-inflammatory (IL37, IL1R8) mRNA expression of IL-1 family cytokines 19. This evidence concerns the gene IL37 and necrotizing enterocolitis.