TNF and periodontitis: Conversely, healing processes were significantly delayed among the periodontitis-stress group, with significantly greater inflammatory infiltrate, alveolar bone loss, and attachment loss compared to the periodontitis-only group at weeks 2 and 4 (p<0.05). Following ligature removal, the periodontitis-only group also displayed a reduction in IL-1β and TNF-α at weeks 1, 2, and 4 compared to baseline.