TNF and asthma: When ASM cells were treated with a variety of cytokines found in high levels in the airways of asthma such as TNFα, IL-1β, Th1 (IFN-γ), Th2 (IL-4, IL-9, and IL-13), and Th17 (IL-17) cytokines, only TNF and IL-1β were able to increase pentraxin-3 secretion significantly (73, 94, 98).