TNF and acute myeloid leukemia: However, it should be emphasized that such a simple classification does not reflect all the complex functions of a single cytokine in AML, and some cytokines have effects that could have justified classification into more than one subset, e.g., TNFα being a regulator of both immune reactions and hematopoiesis, certain chemokines acting both as AML growth factors and immunoregulators and VEGF acting both as a angioregulator and a directly-acting growth factor for AML cells.