The role of TNF-α in chronic inflammatory conditions, intermediary metabolism, and cardiovascular risk

The recent insight that inflammation contributes to the development of atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes mellitus constitutes a major breakthrough in understanding the mechanisms underlying these conditions. In addition, it opens the way for new therapeutic approaches that might eventually decrease the prevalence of these public health problems. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) has been shown to play a key role in these processes and thus might be a potential therapeutic target. Increased concentrations of TNF-alpha are found in acute and chronic inflammatory conditions (e.g., trauma, sepsis, infection, rheumatoid arthritis), in which a shift toward a proatherogenic lipid profile and impaired glucose…