IL18 and infection: N. caninum infection induces the release of IL-1β and IL-18, cleaved caspase-1, and cell death in mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages, while infection of mice deficient in NLRP3, ASC, and caspase-1/11 leads to a decrease in IL-18 production and an increase in IFN-γ in the serum (31).