In the present study, there was no obvious association between the IFN-γ level and the extent of infiltration in patients with PTB (data not shown), possibly because of individual variation in the immune response and the fact that patients with malignancy, collagen disease, and immunosuppressive therapy were included, unlike in the study by Yamada et al. Another possible reason for this discrepancy may be the time interval between the onset of symptoms and blood collection; however, this interval was not recorded in either study. Here, IFNG is linked to rheumatic disorder.