TNF and Cirrhosis: In conclusion, we demonstrated for the first time that an L-Cys/L-Glu imbalance, especially high levels of L-Cys, increases pro-inflammatory cytokines, especially TNF-alpha from peripheral CD14+ monocytes under the amino acid condition of advanced cirrhosis in vitro, and these results are consistent with the relationships among plasma L-Cys and TNF-alpha in patients with advanced cirrhosis.