Similar to adherens junctions, several studies have reported the disruption of endothelial tight junctions in sepsis, reducing the protein levels of occludin and zonula occludens: for instance, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) was shown to disrupt claudin-5 at endothelial cell–cell junctions through NF-κB pathway activation [56]. The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is Sepsis.