TNF and alcohol abuse: Following binge drinking, defined as an episodic excessive alcohol intake and the most common form of alcohol abuse, the counts of circulating leukocytes, monocytes and natural killer cells as well as the release of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α after an ex vivo in vitro whole blood stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) increase in the first 20 minutes after drinking, suggesting an early pro-inflammatory response.