Sepsis survivors have reduced pro-inflammatory interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) secretion after stimulation of whole-blood with zymosan (a yeast surface protein), as well as a substantial decrease in anti-inflammatory IL-10 secretion in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at 9-52 months after discharge, when compared to healthy controls, [24] indicating a sustained inability of immune cells to mount an effective immune response. This evidence concerns the gene TNF and Sepsis.