TNF and cystic fibrosis: Both IFN-γ and TNF-α production are hallmarks of the Th1 response and the production of both cytokines significantly increased in CF patients after whole blood stimulation with MABSC in the present study, indicating that the response to MABSC follows the same pattern seen in other mycobacterial infections, corroborating previous studies that showed increased production of these cytokines by human PBMC after challenge with MABSC (Sampaio et al., 2008; Jönsson et al., 2013; Steindor et al., 2015).