title: [Alteration and clinical significance of plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor in chronic heart failure].
abstract: The plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) were measured by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay in 109 patients who were grouped as "non-heart failure" (n = 36), "heart failure" (n = 36) and "cachexia" (n = 37). The results showed that there was no obvious difference in caloric intake among the three groups. Mean plasma levels of TNF were increased in patients with heart failure (0.51 +/- 0.2 ng.ml-1, P < 0.05) and even higher in patients with cachexia (6.19 +/- 2.76 ng.ml-1, P < 0.01) than in patients with non-heart failure (0.085 +/- 0.025 ng.ml-1). In the group with enhanced plasma levels of TNF (TNF > 100 pg.ml-1), the incidence of cachexia (61.0%) was obviously greater than that in the group with normal levels of TNF (17.6%). These findings indicate that plasma levels of TNF are elevated in patients with heart failure; high levels of TNF may play an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiac cachexia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Hunan Medical University, Changsha 410011.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002100:Cachexia / Q000209:etiology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000150:complications; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha