TNF and congestive heart failure: After measuring the cytokine concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-17, IL-1β, IL-2, TNF), anti-inflammatory (IL-10 and IL-4), and the pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL -6, in the CHF group and controls, we found that the levels of cytokines were always significantly higher in the CHF group (Mann-Whitney Test, p < 0.001 in all cases except IL-17, p=0.015, and IL-1β, p=0.001) (Figure 1).