ABSTRACT
Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) and TNF beta levels in serum were measured by enzyme immunoassays in 64 Libyan children (age: 1-12 years, sex: 39 males, 25 females) with mild to moderately severe asthma (Group A). Among these patients, 35 had active disease (AA) and 29 had inactive disease (NA). According to age range, 20, 21 and 23 patients were between 1-3 years (A1), > 3-5 years (A2) and > 5-12 years (A3) respectively. A1 had 9 and 11 patients with active (AA1) and inactive (NA1) disease; A2 had 10 and 11 patients with active (AA2) and inactive (NA2) disease; A3 had 16 and 7 patients with active (AA3) and inactive (NA3) disease respectively. Age-matched comparisons was made with 57 healthy children (age: 1-12 years; sex: 30 males, 27 females) (Group B). Among the controls, 15, 19 and 23 children were between 1-3 years (B1), > 3-5 years (B2) and > 5-12 years (B3) respectively. It was observed that serum mean TNF alpha level was significantly higher in patients, while TNF beta levels was normal (A vs B-TNF alpha P < 0.001, TNF beta: P > 0.1). The TNF alpha level was elevated significantly in active disease, while it was normal in inactive disease (AA, NA, B: P = 0.0001; AA vs NA; P < 0.0001; NA vs B: P > 0.05) and TNF beta levels were normal in both groups (AA, NA, B: P = 0.25). Further, TNF alpha levels were significantly higher in all age ranges but in patients with active disease only (AA1, NA1, B: P = 0.0008; AA2, NA2, B: P = 0.0003; AA3, NA3, B: P = 0.0396). TNF alpha may therefore be involved in the pathophysiology of asthma possibly through various proinflammatory mechanisms.
Subject(s)
Asthma/immunology , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Infant , Lymphotoxin-alpha/analysis , Male , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/analysisABSTRACT
Cento e vinte pacientes em programa crônico de diálise (38,8 = 17,3 meses) a espera de transplante renal em lista de doador cadáver foram analisados quanto ao grau de infocitotoxicidade contra um painel selecionado de 22 células HLA (A, B) tipadas e fixas. Os pacientes foram distribuídos em três grupos quanto ao nível de sensibilizaçäo (0-9,9%, 10-49,9% e acima de 50%). O número de pacientes em cada nível foi de 61 (49%), 33 (26%) respectivamente. O sexo femenino significativamente superior no grupo de hipersensibilidados (> 50%) e o sexo masculino no de näo sensibilizados (0-9,9%). As gestaçöes prévias parecem ter contribuido para este caráter de hiperreatividade. Näo ocorreu um percentual crescente de hipersensibilizados a medida que se prolongava o tempo em diálise, estando o grupo hipersensibilizados já precocemente definido nos primeiros seis meses de diálise. No grupo de pacientes com mais de um painel, o grau de sensibilizaçäo permaneceu estável em 65% e nos restantesfoi observado uma tendência a elevaçäo e, 17,4%, a queda em 5,8*, e um comportamento errático em 11,8%