TNF and gastric cancer: During the pathogenesis from chronic gastritis to gastric cancer caused by H. pylori infection, activated neutrophils and mononuclear cells in the host can produce pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-10 [11, 12].