TNF and cardiovascular disorder: In adults, there are descriptions that a high leukocyte count is an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases.(22) The mechanisms for this effect are not yet totally clear, but it is probably related to the release of free radicals, procoagulant molecules, and proteolytic enzymes by neutrophils and monocytes, which could accelerate the process of formation of the atherosclerotic plaque.(20) Additionally, monocytes secrete the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), a cytokine that is related to insulin resistance.(23)