They also secrete proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-17 (IL-17) and, to a lesser extent, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and IL-6 and have since been implicated in many autoimmune and infectious diseases such as hepatitis B and C virus infections, human immunodeficiency virus infection, cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, vitiligo, psoriasis, SLE, spondyloarthropathies, rheumatoid arthritis, types 1 and 2 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and glioma [18, 19]. The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is atherosclerosis.