In fact, our group already analyzed cytokines in saliva from patients with CF demonstrating a correlation between IL-6 and IL-8 with the sinunasal inflammation and an inverse correlation between TNF-alpha and the severity of lung diseases20, and more recently we demonstrated a correlation between unsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio in saliva and the severity of the lung disease in patients with CF5. Here, TNF is linked to cystic fibrosis.