TNF and obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency: On the other hand, obesity, once present, may reinforce innate immune hyperactivity, as adipose tissue is an important source of pro-inflammatory mediators such as TNF-a, IL-6, and leptin.19 Thus, the hyperproduction of so-called adipocytokines and other inflammatory agents, which could well be called obesitis, could maintain a state of chronic activation of the innate immune system, perpetuating the systemic inflammatory base of the syndrome.