title: Serum levels of TNF-beta and sTNF-R in patients with malignant bone tumours.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine serum levels of TNF-beta and soluble TNF-R in patients with primary highly malignant bone tumours.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sera of 27 patients with highly malignant osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma were taken at the time of diagnosis and analysed by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both TNF-beta and sTNF-R levels were lower in sera from osteosarcoma patients as compared to those from Ewing sarcoma. In patients with high-grade osteosarcoma, but not Ewing sarcoma, high levels of TNF-beta correlated with bad response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with high-grade osteosarcoma TNF-beta levels seem to be of predictive value and both TNF-beta and sTNF-R seem to be of diagnostic value for differentiation between high-grade osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, University of Vienna, Vienna General Hospital, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. gerold.holzer@akh-wien.ac.at
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Holzer
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pfandlsteiner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Blahovec
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Trieb
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kotz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000097:blood*; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000097:blood*; D012512:Sarcoma, Ewing / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor