Furthermore, the inflammatory response to infection with Leptospira seemed to be subdued in huTLR4 compared to WT mice in that we observed less infiltrates of mononuclear lymphocytes, less innate immune markers and no relevant differences in fibrosis markers in kidney as well as less production of TNFα by murine splenic macrophages harboring a fully functional huTLR4 receptor. Here, TNF is linked to infection.