TNF and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: IPF pathogenesis is correlated by an increase in the synthesis and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1, as well as some fibrous factors such as transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) [4,5,6,7,8,9,10].