title: Elevated serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels in patients with systemic sclerosis: association with pulmonary fibrosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels are elevated, and whether they correlate with clinical features in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples from patients with limited cutaneous SSc (ISSc) (n = 51), diffuse cutaneous SSc (dSSc) (n = 30), and control subjects (n = 30) were examined by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum TNF-alpha levels were elevated in patients with ISSc and dSSc and correlated with the presence of pulmonary fibrosis and with the decreased vital capacity of the patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum TNF-alpha may be one of the cytokines that contribute to the disease process, especially to pulmonary fibrosis in patients with SSc.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Kanazawa University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takehara
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000097:blood*; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000097:blood*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D011239:Prednisolone