The levels of TNF-alpha in cerebrospinal fluid and serum do not correlate with the counts of the white blood cells in acute phase of ischaemic stroke.
Stroke-induced inflammatory reaction, which leads to invasion of leukocytes into the evolving brain infarct, seems to play a key role in the deterioration of brain ischaemic impairment. We have studied CSF and serum levels of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), the potent proinflammatory cytokine, and peripheral white blood cells (WBC) counts in patients within the first 24 hours of ischaemic stroke. TNF-alpha levels in CSF and serum as well as WBC counts were increased. There was no correlation between TNF-alpha levels either in CSF and serum or in WBC counts. The results of our study suggest that increased CSF TNF-alpha levels may represent acute intracerebral inflammation in stroke, whereas elevated levels of TNF-alpha in serum may reflect the peripheral proinflammatory state as well as stroke-induced systemic inflammatory reaction. Increased CSF and serum TNF-alpha levels do not correlate with the elevation of WBC counts, suggesting that TNF-alpha overexpression observed in early phase of stroke is not dependent on increased total number of peripheral leukocytes.
Zaremba
J
J
Department of Clinical Neuroimmunology, University School of Medicine, ul. Przybyszewskiego 49, 60-355 Poznań, Poland.
Losy
J
J
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha