TNF and Hyperglycemia: After observing that certain cytokines and chemokines were upregulated in the combined challenge of GBS infection and hyperglycemia (Figures 2B, 3B), while TNF-α, MCP-1 and MIP-1β were downregulated under these conditions (Figures 2A, 3A), we investigated whether the chemoattraction of immune cells would be affected.