TNF and hepatitis C virus infection: Furthermore, in an U.S. Food and Drug Administration phase I study, the administration of probiotic LGG to cirrhotic patients with MHE (most of whom had Hepatitis C–induced cirrhosis) found that LGG significantly reduces dysbiosis, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and endotoxemia in comparison to placebo (Bajaj et al. 2014).