In the late epoch, an increased risk of prethreshold ROP was associated with a top quartile of the following proteins: day 21 TNF-α and bFGF, and day 28 SAA, MPO, IL-6, TNF-α, TNF-R1 and -R2, IL-8, and ICAM-1. The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is retinopathy of prematurity.