An in vitro challenge model using a bovine mammary epithelial cell culture with components of Staphylococcus aureus, a common mastitis-pathogen, found an increase in gene expression of proteins with antibacterial properties in the presence of IL-17A and IL-17 F, and expression was increased in the presence of TNFα [45], another candidate gene associated with AMIR and CMIR in the present study. Here, TNF is linked to mastitis.