Tumor necrosis factor, natural killer activity and other measures of immune function and inflammation in elderly men with heart failure.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the status of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and other measures of immunity and inflammation in chronic heart failure (CHF) in the elderly.


METHODS
Comparative survey study of subjects with heart failure and age-matched controls.


METHODS
University affiliated tertiary care VA Medical Center, Heart Failure Clinic.


METHODS
Twenty men with New York Class II and III heart failure and 17 age-matched controls.


METHODS
None.


METHODS
Levels of lymphocyte mitogenesis, TNF, natural killer (NK) cell activity, elastase-alpha 1-antitrypsin (E/alpha) and cross-linked fibrin D-dimers (XDP).


RESULTS
TNF levels (p = 0.27), NK activity (p = 0.56), and lymphocyte mitogenesis (p = 0.67) were similar in patients and controls. E/alpha levels were somewhat lower in CHF patients (p = 0.05) and XDP were similar (p = 0.59). However, TNF levels were significantly related to NK activity and to E/alpha activity in elderly men with heart failure but not controls. XDP were positively related to NK in heart failure patients but not controls.


CONCLUSIONS
TNF and other measures of immune function and inflammation do not appear to be significantly elevated in elderly patients with heart failure of moderate severity. However, significant relationships exist between TNF, NK activity, XDP and E/alpha in the heart failure patients only, suggesting that immune activation and subclinical inflammation does exist in these patients.
Prichett
G
G
Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Medical Center, Durham, NC 27705, USA.
Cohen
H J
HJ
Rao
K M
KM
Cobb
F
F
Sullivan
M
M
Currie
M S
MS
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000276:immunology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology*; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000276:immunology
D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin; C037741:alpha 1-antitrypsin-leukocyte elastase complex; C036309:fibrin fragment D; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase