TNF and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: However, according to Leivo-Korpela et al. [21], plasma concentrations of nesfatin-1 correlated with circulating levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin 8 (IL-8), suggesting that these adipokines may play a role in the systemic inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).