TNF and diabetes mellitus: Inflammation itself plays a key role in the development of DKD: inflammatory biomarkers and growth factors such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukins (IL-1, IL-1, IL-16, IL-18), MCP-1 or matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) have been found in renal biopsy samples of DM patients, while the combined action of increased insulinemia and uric acid levels, frequently encountered in these individuals, increase the mRNA expression of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-1β [170,171,172,173].