TNF and schizophrenia: Cumulative evidence suggests that patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) exhibit a state of immune activation with significantly elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 (1, 2), suggesting that inflammation is a possible risk factor for inducing schizophrenia and exacerbating its symptoms (3, 4).