TNF and infection: To identify potential biomarkers, various plasma- or serum-based cytokines and chemokines have been evaluated for their ability to separate viral clearance from persistent infection in patients with acute hepatitis C. The plasma IL-18, IP-10, and IFN-λ levels are elevated in the clearance of infection, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and the IL 10, B-lymphocyte stimulator/B activating factor (BLyS/BAFF) (the TNF-family cytokine involved in B-cell proliferation) are increased in non-resolved patients [96,97,98,99,100].