title: [Value of blood inflammatory markers in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in children].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the value of serum inflammatory markers in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis (AA) in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood samples were collected from 51 children with AA and 16 children with nonsurgical abdominal pain (NSAP) to examine white blood cell count (WBC), serum C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α).
  
  
  RESULTS
  WBC count, CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α increased significantly in children with severe AA (phlegmonous or gangrenous, and perforated appendicitis). ROC curves showed that IL-6 or TNF-α had a greater contribution than WBC count to the diagnosis of severe appendicitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IL-6 and TNF-α can provide complementary information to assist the clinical decision of emergency operation for children with AA.
authors.affiliation: Second People's Hospital of Jieyang Dongshan District, Jieyang, China. dangsheng120@sohu.com
authors.forename: Dangsheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D001064:Appendicitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002097:C-Reactive Protein