This finding provides a potential explanation for the increased susceptibility of patients on TNF inhibitors to develop S. aureus skin infections (13, 49) and aligns with reports by our group and others that TNF responses are protective against S. aureus at other infection sites, including orthopedic implant–associated infections (50), bacteremia (51), and brain abscess infections (52, 53). This evidence concerns the gene TNF and bacterial infectious disease with sepsis.