Tumour necrosis factor-alpha in nasal allergy.
Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) by radio-immunoassay to evaluate TNF-alpha in nasal allergy. There was no significant difference either between the mean concentrations of TNF-alpha in nasal secretions from the patients with perennial nasal allergy and those of normal subjects, or between the TNF-alpha and ECP concentrations. However, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction showed a specific increase of TNF-alpha mRNA and IFN-gamma mRNA in allergic nasal mucosa after allergen challenge in vitro. These findings suggest a possibility that T cell-derived IFN-gamma up-regulates macrophages to elaborate TNF-alpha, which may play a role in amplifying allergic inflammation in the nose through the cytokine network.
Hisamatsu
K
K
Department of Otorhinolaryngology Yamanashi Medical University 1110 Shimokato Tamaho-cho, Nakakoma-gun Yamanashi-ken 409-38 Japan.
Ganbo
T
T
Nakazawa
T
T
Nakajima
T
T
Ko
J
J
Goto
R
R
Murakami
Y
Y
Misui
K
K