Taken together, our findings provide evidence of the utility of TNF-α as an adjuvant in a murine model of peanut allergy and are consistent with the hypothesis that early life exposure to antibiotics alters microbial colonization of the intestinal tract [39] and this was associated with ear swelling and scratching following later intra-dermal peanut antigen challenge. This evidence concerns the gene TNF and peanut allergic reaction.