Against this pro-inflammatory background, our results suggest that conventional serum/CSF cytokines such as IL-2, TNF-α and IL-18 are unlikely to resolve the distinction between CIDP and diabetic neuropathy on their own, and that more specific imaging, electrophysiological and fluid biomarkers might be needed to aid in differentiation, as suggested, e.g., for nerve ultrasound and CSF sphingomyelin (Heiling et al., 2024; Capodivento et al., 2021). Here, TNF is linked to chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy.