title: Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha and production of this cytokine by polymorphonuclear cells in breast cancer patients.
abstract: Unstimulated as well as zymosan and LPS-stimulated production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) by polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) was investigated in breast cancer patients. Serum levels of TNF-alpha were also determined. Spontaneous TNF-alpha production was lower, comparable with that found in healthy persons. Zymosan and LPS-stimulated PMNs of cancer patients were found to produce significantly lower amounts of TNF-alpha, as compared with PMNs of healthy control. There was no significant differences in the serum levels of TNF-alpha between breast cancer patients and healthy persons. Because the peripheral blood cells contain more than 50% PMNs, the altered TNF-alpha production by PMNs may have a series of relevant implications during malignant process and seems to be one of the factors helpful in determining the cellular immunology potency of breast cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunopathology, University Medical School, Białystok, Poland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jabłońska
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D015054:Zymosan / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015054:Zymosan