Fig. 3: Cytokine levels and survival.

Survival curves based on each cytokine measured, after multiple variable adjustments for sex, age, race/ethnicity, smoking, CKD, hypertension, asthma and CHF (n = 1,246). Cox regression model showing overall survival with CIs for each cytokine based on time from ELLA cytokine test to last follow-up date (discharge, death or still in hospital, whichever comes last), with significance indicated by P value and HR. There was worse survival if cytokines were high (red, above cutoffs of 70 pg ml⁻¹ for IL-6, 50 pg ml⁻¹ for IL-8, 35 pg ml⁻¹ for TNF-α and 0.5 pg ml⁻¹ for IL-1β) versus low (blue, below cutoffs). Each line indicates the predicted survival probability over follow-up time, with the error band indicating the corresponding two-sided 95% CI.