The observation that the release of TNF-αis increased in the blood monocytes of miners with coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (Borm et al. 1988) has led to several studies showing an increase in TNF-α levels from AMs stimulated with silica (Baer et al. 1998; Dubois et al. 1989; Gossart et al. 1996). The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is pneumoconiosis.