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. This evidence concerns the gene TNF and susceptibility to pneumonia measurement.