Our in vitro assay showed that splenic CD11b+ cells from PbANKA-infected mice at days 0, 3, and 5 post-infection co-cultured with Pb-iRBC had higher TNF-α production in the supernatant compared to that co-cultured with uRBC, and anti-Tim-3 antibody treatment further promoted TNF-α production (Figure 4C). This evidence concerns the gene ITGAM and infection.