Indeed, ELISA tests demonstrated that soluble BAFF (sBAFF) and soluble APRIL (sAPRIL) were significantly elevated in the plasma of TB and TP patients (Figure 3.B, TB, n = 12 vs. HD, n = 22: both sBAFF and sAPRIL, p<0.0001; TP, n = 10 vs. HD: sBAFF, p = 0.0003 and sAPRIL, p<0.0001). This evidence concerns the gene TNFSF13 and tuberculosis.