TNF and polycystic ovary syndrome: Hormonal mechanisms: hyperandrogenemia can underlie diet-induced inflammatory response; indeed, the administration of oral androgens, rising circulating levels at values comparable to PCOS, induces, both in fasting state and after glucose load, mononuclear cell (MNC) activation, with consequent cascade of previously described events (i.e., ROS generation, NFkB activation and increase in TNFα mRNA).