title: [Cytokine assays for pterygium].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the roles of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in pathogenesis of pterygium.
  
  
  METHODS
  Radioimmunoassay and bioactivity assay were used to measure the levels of TNF-alpha and PDGF in tissue culture supernatant of pterygium specimens obtained from 30 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of TNF-alpha and PDGF in tissue culture supernatant of pterygium were significantly higher than that of normal conjunctival specimens (t = 2.827, P < 0.01; t = 3.011, P < 0.01), and there was a significant difference between progressive and quiescent cases (t = 2.374, P < 0.05; t = 2.712, P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The abnormal secretion of TNF-alpha and PDGF may be related to the pathogenesis of pterygium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Fujian Provincial People's Hospital, Fuzhou 350004.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D011625:Pterygium / Q000209:etiology*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha