title: Serum TNF-alpha and free radical scavengers in neonatal septicemia.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and free radicals have been implicated in the pathogenesis of neonatal septicemia and its complications. This case control study was conducted between November 1996 to July 1997 to determine the levels of TNF-alpha and free radical scavengers viz. superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in the serum of 30 septic neonates and 20 healthy controls. Patients with neonatal sepsis registered significantly higher levels of TNF-alpha, SOD and GPX in comparison to controls (p < 0.05). The neonates with septic shock had five fold increase in TNF-alpha levels (2262 +/- 605.8 pg/ml) as compared to those without shock (738.8 +/- 728.8 pg/ml). There was no statistically significant difference in levels of antioxidant enzymes between neonates with shock and without shock. The levels of TNF-alpha and antioxidant enzymes were not affected by the type of organism isolated in blood culture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital, New Delhi.
authors.lastname: Seema
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Mandal
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tandon
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Randhawa
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Batra
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Kapoor
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000097:blood; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase