TNF and infection: The expression of IL1B, IL10, IL12, TGFB, and TNFA mRNA was significantly downregulated in macrophages infected with the MTS1338-expressing strain at both time points (Figure 3A), whereas that of IL6, which was almost undetectable in the control strain-infected cells, was markedly increased in the MTS1338 strain-infected cells over the course of infection (by 4-fold compared to that of control) (Figure 3B).