Interestingly, our ELISA results indicate a higher secretion of TNF-α in pDC isolated from LN+ cancer tissue in comparison with that of pDC from LN- cancer tissue, suggesting that the specific stimulating effect of the pDC-derived factor on NF-κB activation and subsequent CXCR-4 overexpression may be partly mediated through TNF-α secretion. The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is cancer.