title: Tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 1 beta in synovial fluid of infants and children with suppurative arthritis.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 1 beta concentrations were measured in synovial fluid of 24 infants and children with diagnoses of suppurative arthritis (n = 16) and other kinds of arthritis (n = 8). Large concentrations of tumor necrosis factor alpha (range, 100 to 85,000 pg/mL) were found in 12 (75%) of 16 patients with bacterial infection and in none of the patients with noninfectious origins. Large concentrations of interleukin 1 beta (greater than 200 pg/mL) were found in 15 (94%) of 16 patients with bacterial infection and in none of the other patients. In the latter group, small concentrations of interleukin 1 (range, 40 to 120 pg/mL) were present in 5 (63%) of 8 patients. Serum samples obtained simultaneously were negative for both cytokines. Tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 1 beta concentrations correlated significantly and with leukocyte counts in synovial fluid. We conclude that large concentrations of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 1 beta are produced locally in patients with suppurative arthritis and they may be potentially useful in differentiating this condition from other kinds of arthritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sáez-Llorens
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mustafa
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ramilo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Beutler
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001168:Arthritis / Q000175:diagnosis; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000032:analysis*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha