TNF and hydronephrosis: The main findings of the present study are as follows: 1) Compared with controls, patients with hydronephrosis had decreased E’ and SRIVR, increased LV filling indices (E/ E’ and E/ SRIVR) and higher LAVI, which suggested diastolic dysfunction with a dilated left atrium; 2) Surgical relief of hydronephrosis resulted in improved LV relaxation, which was reflected by the changes in SRIVR and E/ SRIVR; 3) Patients with hydronephrosis exhibited reduced serum TNF-α, TGF-β, and KIM-1 levels after surgical relief of hydronephrosis.