TNF and infection: Four cytokines—namely, MCP-1, MIP-1 α, MIP-1β, and TNF-α—were upregulated in macrophages infected specifically by the EmbA_KD strain at both timepoints, and the IL-3, -6, -13, and -17 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor levels were upregulated only at 12 h post-infection (two-way ANOVA test, p-value <0.05) (Figure 7B and Supplementary Figure S3).