IFNG and malaria: In addition, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients who had no prior exposure to malaria were able to produce proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-12, and IFN-γ, within 10 hours of exposure to infected red blood cells (iRBCs) [14] demonstrating the activation of innate immune response against malaria parasite.