title: Serum concentrations of tumour necrosis factor-alpha during chemotherapy-induced leukopenia in patients with acute leukaemia and bacterial infections.
abstract: Serum concentrations of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) increase during septicaemia in previously healthy individuals. To investigate whether a similar increase in TNF-alpha can be seen in severely immunocompromised patients with acute leukaemia and chemotherapy-induced leukopenia, serum TNF-alpha was analysed in leukopenic patients with bacterial infections. Pretherapy serum levels of TNF-alpha were decreased in leukaemia patients compared with healthy controls, and serum TNF-alpha levels showed a further decrease when patients developed chemotherapy-induced leukopenia. When leukopenic patients developed bacterial infections, serum concentrations of TNF-alpha increased. Serum levels of TNF-alpha decreased when clinical signs of infection resolved during antibiotic therapy, but an increase occurred later in parallel with haematopoietic reconstitution.
authors.affiliation: Medical Department B, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bruserud
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bergheim
authors.forename: F V
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Shammas
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nesthus
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D012016:Reference Values; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha