The lack of hydrosalpinx in IL-6-deficient mice correlated with significantly reduced inflammatory infiltration in the oviduct tissue and decreased spleen CD4+ and CD8+ T cells that produce TNFα.
Additionally, repletion of TNF-α(-/-) mice with TNF-α(+/+) CD8(+) T cells significantly enhanced the incidence of hydrosalpinx and oviduct dilatation compared to those of TNF-α(-/-) mice but not to the levels found in wild-type mice, suggesting that TNF-α production from CD8(+) T cells and non-CD8(+) cells cooperates to induce optimal oviduct pathology following genital chlamydial infection.