Another study demonstrated that the frequency of HCMV-specific CD69+ CD4+ T cells producing IFN-γ and TNF-α was similar in SLE patients and healthy controls, while the frequency of HCMV-specific CD69+ CD8+ T cells producing IFN-γ and TNF-α was lower in SLE patients, although the difference was not statistically significant [34]. Here, TNF is linked to systemic lupus erythematosus.