TNF and atherosclerosis: IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα are also produced by CD14++ CD16+ non-classical monocytes activated by atherosclerosis, which are strictly correlated with disease progression; similarly, complement system is associated with atherosclerotic progression, being C3 and C4 serum levels, exacerbating inflammatory responses, linked to an increased risk for CVD [31,33,34].