title: Tumor necrosis factor (cachectin) in human visceral leishmaniasis.
abstract: High tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) levels were present in the serum of 24 of 28 active visceral leishmaniasis (VL) patients (142.9 +/- 113.9 pg/ml, mean +/- SD), whereas levels were not elevated in 26 of 30 patients with cryptic leishmanial infection (16 asymptomatic, 4 with self-healing subclinical infection, and 10 posttreatment VL cases). Serum TNF alpha levels were also not elevated in 15 normal volunteers (11.3 +/- 15.6 pg/ml) and in 10 patients with tegumentary leishmaniasis (19.1 +/- 10.8 pg/ml). Leishmanial infection of human monocyte-derived macrophages enhanced the basal TNF alpha production by these cells, and this effect was further potentiated by treatment with recombinant interferon-gamma. After effective treatment of VL patients, serum TNF alpha levels dropped rapidly (129 +/- 112 vs. 9 +/- 13 pg/ml in 10 days), even before clinical parameters such as spleen size or parasitism, white blood cell count, or levels of hemoglobin returned to normal values. On the other hand, patients unresponsive to treatment remained with elevated levels (276 +/- 69 vs. 155 +/- 71 pg/ml in 10 days). Thus, serum TNF alpha levels in VL patients are a good parameter to monitor in determining host response to therapy.
authors.affiliation: Servicço de Immunologia, Hospital Universidade Professor Edgard Santos, Universidade Federal de Bahia, Salvador-Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barral-Netto
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Badaró
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barral
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Badaró
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pedral-Sampaio
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Falcoff
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Falcoff
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000965:Antimony / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D008536:Meglumine; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D000965:Antimony