TNF and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Whereas idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis progresses without manifesting detectable inflammatory responses, many other forms of pulmonary fibrosis are associated with expression of inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) [2], interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) [3], and interleukin-17 [4], and infiltration of inflammatory cells such as neutrophils, macrophages, and T cells [5].