TNF and Zinc deficiency: A persistent level of TNFα and IL-6 at both times of detection was observed in both groups; it could be either the important systemic and pulmonary inflammation or the zinc deficiency associated with the production of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα (8, 34) because in both groups, serum zinc levels were below normal despite zinc supplementation at the moment of admission with pneumonia and at the discharge.