Hyperglycemia induces persistent chronic inflammation and plays a key role in the development and progression of DN [50]; inflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of DN through multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines, including ex vivo monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1β [51, 52]. Here, TNF is linked to liver dysplastic nodule.