In cirrhotic patients with covert or minimal HE, plasma levels of many pro‐inflammatory cytokines, including IL‐6, IL‐21, IL‐17, IL‐10, IFN‐γ, IL‐18, CCL20, TNF‐α, CXCL13, IL‐15, and CX3CL1 are elevated, and TGF‐β is reduced. Here, TNF is linked to hereditary elliptocytosis.