CCL2 and Hypertension: Inflammation, as represented by elevation of the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), is known to be closely associated with not only obesity [35], but also the metabolic abnormalties, including impaired fasting plasma glucose and hypertension [36].