title: [Determination of serum levels of tumor necrosis factor in pediatric practice: usefulness and limitations].
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a prototypical inflammatory cytokine with a wide spectrum of biological activities. Therefore it could play a role in many immunologic and non immunologic disorders. We made a review of the literature concerning the significance of high TNF serum levels in pediatrics and also reported our preliminary results on TNF-alpha values in several pediatric immunologic diseases. Our data seem to confirm the importance of TNF in many immunologic disorders and suggest the opportunity of a more extensive analysis of TNF-alpha serum levels in pediatrics.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Pediatria, Ospedale Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, S. Giovanni Rotondo, Italia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pellegrino
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Minervini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ardito
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Checchia de Ambrosio
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lotti
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007154:Immune System Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007223:Infant; D007239:Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
vernacular_title: La determinazione dei livelli sierici del tumor necrosis factor nella pratica pediatrica: utilità e limiti.