Association between tumour necrosis factor in serum and fatal outcome in patients with meningococcal disease.
Serum samples taken on admission from 79 patients with meningococcal meningitis, septicaemia, or both, were examined in a highly sensitive bioassay for tumour necrosis factor (TNF). TNF was detected in samples from 10 of 11 patients who died but from only 8 of 68 survivors. All 5 patients with serum TNF levels over 440 units/ml (corresponding to 0.1 ng/ml recombinant TNF) died.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
D006023:Glycoproteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha