title: Serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha concentrations in children hospitalized for acute lower respiratory tract infection.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay in sera of 118 children (median age, 1.7 years; range, 2 months-15 years) hospitalized for acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRI). Both viral and bacterial ALRI were associated with elevated concentrations of TNF alpha. Concentrations greater than 40 ng/l were seen in children with bacterial or mixed ALRI in 64% and with viral ALRI in 50% of cases. Elevated concentrations were associated with longer duration of fever before admission (P less than .05) and with a higher serum C-reactive protein concentration (P less than .05). There were no significant differences in TNF alpha concentrations between gram-positive and gram-negative infections, nor was there an association with clinical severity of ALRI. TNF alpha concentrations decreased in most patients to normal within 5 days of hospitalization, irrespective of the etiology of the infection.
authors.affiliation: National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nohynek
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Teppo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Laine
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leinonen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eskola
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha