Previous studies have shown that TAMs in HCC tumor stroma produce various proinflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-β, IL-6 and IL-23, which induce the expansion of CD4+ Th17 cells, according to the overexpression of PD-L1, CTLA4 to inhibit antitumor immunity (Kuang et al., 2010). Here, TNF is linked to neoplasm.