TNF and inflammatory bowel disease: IBD patients have a characteristically low level of anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-10, and an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interferon gamma (IFNγ), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and interleukin-12 [1].