Preoperative median IL-6 and CRP concentrations were higher in patients with postoperative infection compared to non-infected patients (6.1 pg/ml (IQR 3.3,10.9) vs. 3.4 pg/ml (2.0,6.0), p = 0.002 and 3.4 mg/L (2.1,22.1) vs. 1.8 mg/L (0.8,6.0), p = 0.016 for IL-6 and CRP respectively, Fig 1A, B). The gene discussed is CRP; the disease is infection.