TNF and infection: The control of parasitism of T. cruzi depends on both innate and acquired immune responses, which are triggered during early infection and considered critical for host survival, and they both involve the participation of macrophages, natural killer (NK) cells, and T and B lymphocytes and the production of Th1 proinflammatory cytokines, such as IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, and IL-12 [39].