TNF and otosclerosis: In the measles virus-positive samples, there was no correlation between the transcript levels for genes TNF-α and OPG and between the transcript levels for genes IL-1β and OPG. It was estimated that the level of TNF-α, IL-1β and OPG gene expression in the stapes taken from people suffering from otosclerosis is not dependent on the presence of measles virus RNA (t < 1).