TNF and Sepsis: Multiple studies have reported heightened peripheral immune responses in APOE ε4 carriers, including increased cytokine production following TLR2/4/5 activation 3, elevated TNF-α and IL-6 levels after a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge 4, increased cytokine levels 6,22–24, and enhanced susceptibility to systemic inflammatory stressors such as sepsis 4.