title: Clinical significance of soluble TNF receptor in Japanese patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor (sTNFR) is reported to be a good indicator of TNF production and severity in inflammatory diseases. To investigate the clinical significance of sTNFR in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), we measured the serum levels of soluble TNF receptor-1 and -2.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed 82 NASH patients and 15 healthy subjects (control). The grades of fibrosis, inflammation and fatty deposit were evaluated on liver biopsy. The serum levels of sTNFR-1 and -2 were measured by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was significant correlation between platelet count and sTNFRs. The titers of sTNFR-2 in NASH patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) were higher than in those without DM. The serum levels of sTNFRs in NASH patients with advanced fibrosis were increased compared with those of control and NASH patients with low-grade fibrosis. Soluble TNFRs in patients with moderate inflammation were increased compared to those of control and patients with mild inflammation. There was no significant association between fatty deposit grade and sTNFRs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Soluble TNFRs have a significant correlation with fibrosis in NASH.
authors.affiliation: Tokyo Women's Medical University, Department of Medicine and Gastroenterology, Japan. hashimoto@mti.biglobe.ne.jp
authors.forename: Katsutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tokushige
authors.forename: Etsuko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsuchiya
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaneda
authors.forename: Makiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taniai
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shiratori
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers; D002648:Child; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000378:metabolism; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II