Not only is atherosclerosis considered to be an inflammatory process with increased serum levels of TNFα present in patients with atherothrombotic diseases [13,14], but TNFα has been associated directly to endothelial dysfunction by mediating NF-κB translocation, increasing production of reactive oxygen species, and affecting endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression [15-17]. This evidence concerns the gene TNF and atherosclerosis.