Furthermore, a tissue-adaptive response, recently described as para-inflammation, in which the innate immune system mounts a low-grade inflammatory response to restore tissue homeostasis, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of AMD.8 9 Inflammatory-related proteins, including C-reactive protein,10–13 interleukin-6 (IL-6)12 14 and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α),12 15 have been shown to be associated with AMD; however, the results from different groups are inconsistent. This evidence concerns the gene TNF and age-related macular degeneration.