Data provided from one study that included 30 controls (healthy individuals), 28 silica-exposed individuals (without clinical disease), and 30 silica subjects showed that TNF-α plasma levels were elevated in exposed workers (p < 0.05) and significantly higher in silicosis patients than in the healthy subjects group (p < 0.01), proving that TNF-α is a contributor in the pathogenesis of silicosis [13]. The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is silicosis.