Correlation between serum tumor necrosis factor alpha levels and clinical severity of tuberculosis.
This study verified the correlation between the serum levels of TNF alpha and different clinical forms of tuberculosis. We described a group of 24 patients presenting several clinical forms of tuberculosis and a control group of 13 healthy individuals. The levels of TNF alpha were measured by bioassay method. The levels of TNF-alpha had significant differences between the tuberculosis and control groups. The patients with abnormal chest X-Ray findings had higher TNF alpha levels (15328.48 +/- 4602.19 pg/mL) when compared to patients with normal X-Rays (3353.18 +/- 1495.29 pg/mL) (p<0.05). Patients that lost weight had higher TNF alpha levels (15468.54 +/- 4580.54 pg/mL) than those that didn't loose weight (2904.98 +/- 1367.89) (p<0.05). The levels of TNF alpha were higher in patients with a positive PPD skin test than in those with a negative PPD test (p<0.05). There was a positive correlation between patients' clinical severity and the serum levels of TNF alpha. In patients with successive measurements of TNF alpha, we observed that there was a drop in cytokine levels, and also a clinical improvement concomitantly. We concluded that there was a correlation between serum TNF alpha levels and chest X-Ray alterations, loss of weight, positive PPD skin test and clinical severity in patients with tuberculosis. There was evidence of a worse clinical outcome in patients with tuberculosis that presented higher TNF alpha serum levels.
Andrade Júnior
Dahir Ramos de
DR
Laboratoty of Medical Research-LIM 54, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. =dahira@uol.com.br
Santos
Sânia Alves dos
SA
Castro
Isac de
Id
Andrade
Dahir Ramos de
DR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000097:blood*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
D015415:Biomarkers; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha