TNF and obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency: The activation of the innate immune system in obesity promotes the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as leptin, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and acute-phase proteins such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and inhibits the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as adiponectin (8).