title: Early weight loss and high serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels in polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein, skin changes syndrome.
abstract: We studied tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels in serial serum samples from 3 consecutive patients who had a complete form of POEMS (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein, skin changes) syndrome and early weight loss. Serum TNF-alpha levels were compared with those of 10 patients with multiple myeloma (5) or Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (5). Elevated serum levels of TNF-alpha were found in the patients with POEMS syndrome (two- to eightfold increase in 10 of 11 samples) and not in those with other malignant plasma cell dyscrasias. These results are in keeping with the hypothesis of a role for nonimmunoglobulinic mediators in the pathogenesis of the POEMS syndrome, and are consistent with previous reports of TNF-alpha overproduction in inflammatory demyelinating neuropathies and cachectic states.
authors.affiliation: Département de Pathologie (Maladies Neuro-Musculaires), Hôpital Henri Mondor, Créteil, France.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Gherardi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chouaïb
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Malapert
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bélec
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Intrator
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Degos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016878:POEMS Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha