title: Plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha in patients with Mediterranean spotted fever: clinical and analytical correlations.
abstract: Twenty consecutive patients with serologically confirmed Mediterranean spotted fever were analyzed for determination of plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) by means of an ELISA. Increased levels of TNF-alpha in plasma were found during the acute phase of the disease (52.3 +/- 49.8 pg/mL) compared to levels in the convalescent phase (9.0 +/- 9.3 pg/mL; P < .001) or in healthy controls (6.5 +/- 3.2 pg/mL; P < .001). Plasma TNF-alpha levels were significantly higher in patients with severe Mediterranean spotted fever. Levels of TNF-alpha correlated significantly with serum levels of C-reactive protein and triglycerides and inversely with serum levels of sodium.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Department, Hospital de Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oristrell
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Amengual
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Font-Creus
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casanovas
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Segura-Porta
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001907:Boutonneuse Fever / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D012964:Sodium