TNF and periodontitis: The primary pathogens of periodontitis have been identified in bacteria, belonging to the so-called “red complex” (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythensis, and Treponema denticola), which is considered the leading cause of changes in polymicrobial communities, while Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans plays a key role in the development of formerly classified aggressive periodontitis, by stimulating macrophages to produce proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) [5,6].