This reduction can hinder lymphocyte resistance to the anti-inflammatory effects of glucocorticoids and increase sensitivity to vasopressors due to hydrocortisone or the mineralized corticosteroid properties of hydrocortisone.[33–36] A study conducted in 2002 discovered that individuals who used HC in its early stages exhibited reduced production of TNF-α,[11] a cytokine that plays a crucial role in the body’s response to infection and is linked to the vasodilation observed in sepsis. This evidence concerns the gene TNF and infection.