TNF and preeclampsia: These results agree with a previous study that showed the association of higher levels of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1 β, and IL-12, as well as lower levels of IL-10 and disease severity in the early-onset PE group.13Several studies have demonstrated that proinflammatory cytokines are produced in excess by maternal immune cells in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia,16, 18, 27and are responsible for the pathophysiological features, activating damage into the endothelial cells to initiate the maternal inflammatory responses.