TNF and metabolic syndrome: The same authors studied LDL apheresis in another group of patients with severe dyslipidemia and pre-existing angiographically who demonstrated coronary heart disease (CHD); lipoprotein apheresis was able to induce anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic action, with profound modulation of the cytokine profile (increase in RANTES levels, decrease in plasma macrophage inflammatory protein 1α (MIP-1α), macrophage inflammatory protein 1β (MIP-1β), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1a, IL-1b and IL-6) [22].