TNF and severe acute respiratory syndrome: The expression of cytokines, like IL-6 and TNF-α, was shown to be up-regulated in SARS-CoV-infected dendritic cells, and the excessive secretion of IL-6 may serve as an immunopathological process that causes lung injury in SARS.[11–13] The patient in our study had high levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-2 receptor.