title: Plasma cytokine levels in necrotizing enterocolitis.
abstract: Plasma concentrations of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured by ELISA in samples taken from 24 infants with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) between 0 and 306 h from diagnosis. TNF was detected (> 10 pg/ml) in 71% samples with a mean of 48 pg/ml (95% CI 42 to 55 pg/ml) and did not vary with either time from diagnosis or severity of disease. IL-6 was raised during the first 48 h with a significant difference between stage II (mean 127 pg/ml, 95% CI 10 to 329 pg/ml) and stage III (mean 3127 pg/ml, 95% CI 1809 to 4445 pg/ml, p = 0.001). Postoperative plasma IL-6 concentration fell to similar levels seen in stage II (mean 150 pg/ml, 95% CI 37 to 283 pg/ml, p = 0.79). We conclude that plasma concentration of IL-6 rather than TNF reflects the clinical severity of necrotizing enterocolitis and that the relative level of these cytokines has important implications for the use of anti-cytokine therapy in NEC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Morecroft
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spitz
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Holmes
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha