Part of the anti-inflammatory activity of glucocorticoids in asthma may also involve reduction in macrophage and resident cell eicosanoid (leukotriene B4 and thromboxane B2) and cytokine and chemokine (e.g. IL-1β, IL-4, IL-5, IL-8, GM-CSF, TNF-α, CCL3 [macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1α)] and CCL5 (RANTES) synthesis [7,12]. This evidence concerns the gene TNF and asthma.