Kurtis et al. have shown that maternal schistosomiasis due to S. japonica was directly associated with both elevated proinflammatory signals in the placenta (TNF-α, IL-6, IL, IL-1β, and TNF-IIR) and fetal cord blood (TNF-IIR and IFN-y), respectively [32]. The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is schistosomiasis.