IFNG and Cowden disease: Given the fact that repeated contact with the MAP antigen causes a pro-inflammatory reaction with the production of a number of cytokines, in recent years more and more attention has been paid to the role of various cytokines in the pathogenesis of CD, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, IL-18, and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) [16–18].