The production of several inflammatory cytokines, including tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-a, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6, and several endothelial adhesion molecules, such as vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), is involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis [3,4]. This evidence concerns the gene TNF and atherosclerosis.