Furthermore, the monocytes of these populations are themain producers of proinflammatory cytokines: the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)and interleukin- 12 (IL-12) [6].Monocytes play a critical role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, becauseafter they are attracted to the lipid and lipoprotein-enriched intimal areas ofthe arteries, they differentiate into macrophages under the influence of themacrophage colonystimulating factor (M-CSF) produced by the activatedendothelium. Here, TNF is linked to atherosclerosis.