title: Assessment of a possible imbalance between tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and soluble TNF receptor forms in tuberculous infection of the central nervous system.
abstract: Distributions of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and its soluble receptor forms, R55-BP and R75-BP, were analyzed in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with severe acute or chronic central nervous system infections. Tuberculous infections were associated with high ratios of R55-BP and R75-BP to TNF, 27.2 and 28.0, respectively, suggesting a small biologically active fraction of TNF. The opposite was found in subjects with acute bacterial meningitis. They had large fractions of biologically active TNF and thus low ratios of R55-BP and R75-BP to TNF, 3.7 and 4.0, respectively. It is hypothesized that chronic infectious diseases, such as tuberculous infections, may be associated with inadequate production of TNF and a concomitant relative increase of soluble TNF receptors, which may prolong the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Lund University Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rydberg
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miörner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chandramuki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lantz
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000276:immunology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000276:immunology; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000032:analysis*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha