TNF and atherosclerosis: IL-17 inhibits fungal infections to a certain extent and exhibits pro-inflammatory properties.[31,32] Therefore, high levels of IL-17 in the blood lead to heightened inflammatory responses, promoting plaque growth in the blood vessels or making the plaque unstable and aggravating atherosclerosis.[33,34] TNF and TLR signaling pathways are associated with the NF-кB signaling pathway.