TNF and tuberculosis: The balance between Th1 and Th2 host immune responses plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of TB and HIV infections by interfering with naïve T-cell activation, which may result in a distorted immune response 6,7 TNF-α is a pleiotropic pro-inflammatory cytokine that is mainly produced by macrophages, monocytes, and dendritic cells (DC) 5.