TNF plays a central role in initiation and promotion of inflammation (Old, 1985; Körner and Sedgwick, 1996; Sedgwick et al., 2000), thus dysregulated TNF production and function are associated with the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, and multiple sclerosis (Kollias et al., 1999; Kollias, 2005). This evidence concerns the gene TNF and systemic lupus erythematosus.