title: Tumour necrosis factor-alpha in nasal allergy.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology Yamanashi Medical University 1110 Shimokato Tamaho-cho, Nakakoma-gun Yamanashi-ken 409-38 Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hisamatsu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ganbo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakazawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Misui