TNF and gastric cancer: A previous study found that patients with gastric cancer expressed less HVEM on leukocytes, including monocytes, and had higher levels of sHVEM.17 HVEM can be cleaved in an MMP‐dependent manner from human monocytes following stimulation by IL‐8, TNF‐α, and LPS.17 Consistent with this, we found that LPS and ethanol reduced mHVEM expression and increased sHVEM in an MMP‐dependent manner, suggesting that HVEM shedding from monocytes could contribute to sHVEM elevation in patients with AH.