IFNG and tuberculosis: IFN-γ is a key pro-inflammatory cytokine produced by natural killer (NK) cells and T-helper-1 (Th1) cells that mediates immunity to TB, especially by activating macrophages and other immune cells, including IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), to kill M. tuberculosis (De Martino et al., 2019).