TNF and rheumatic disorder: Besides RANKL, an elevation in T lymphocyte-derived tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and the interleukin (IL)-1 family, which act as central mediators in osteoporosis by increasing osteoclast precursors and suppressing osteoblast activity [33,34], has been reported in postmenopausal women and patients with rheumatic diseases [32,35,36].