In microvessels isolated from AD brains higher levels of inflammatory mediators were determined, such as nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-6, and 8 (IL-6 and IL-8), MMPs, prostaglandins, and leukocyte adhesion molecules, compared with healthy controls (Dorheim et al., 1994; Grammas and Ovase, 2001; Thirumangalakudi et al., 2006). The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is Alzheimer disease.