TNF and Alzheimer disease: By stimulating PBMCs with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and ionomycin, TEMRA cells from patients with MCI or AD demonstrated potent effector functions, such as secreting proinflammatory cytokines, including interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF), which was consistent with the upregulated T cell receptor (TCR) and cytokine signaling in TEMRA cells.