RESUMEN
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the change of early serum TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels in acute cerebral infarction and its significances.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Serum TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels in 30 health subjects and 35 patients with acute cerebral infarction (ACI) within 6 hours of onset were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); neurological deficits scores (NDS) in all cases were determined, and Spearman test was used for correlation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The serum levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in ACI group were markedly higher than those in health subjects and there was a positive correlation of TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels with 6 h NDS (rs=0.89 and 0.93, P<0.001) and with NDS progression (rs=0.90 and 0.91, P<0.001). Early serum TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels in progressive cerebral infarction (PCI) group were evidently higher than those in stable cerebral infarction (SCI)[(49.56+/-12.12) pg/L compared with (24.30+/-7.4) ng/L and (39.76+/-7.88) ng/L compared with (20.78+/-6.28) ng/L, respectively, P<0.01)].</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The early serum levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in ACI markedly increase and are closely correlated with disease severity; which may be of value in PCI risk evaluation.</p>