TNF and Sepsis: Cytokine levels increased in both groups after sepsis onset (wt: IL-6, p = 0.004; TNF-α, p = 0.008; IL-10, p = 0.008; fD−/−: IL-6, p = 0.001; TNF- α, p = 0.002; IL-10, p = 0.001), whereas IL-6 levels were higher in fD−/− mice compared to wild-type at 3-h (p = 0.012) after CLP (Fig. 1B and Additional file 1: Figure S1D).