During the long pathogenesis from chronic gastritis to gastric cancer spawned by H. pylori infection, host-activated neutrophils and mononuclear cells can produce not only proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α but also anti-inflammatory cytokines like IL-10. The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is chronic gastritis.