Tumor necrosis factor in malignant tumours and endotoxemia

ABSTRACT

Tumor necrosis factor [TNF], also called cachectin, has been estimated using Enzyme Amplified Sensitivity Immuno Assay [EASIA] technique in the serum of ten controls [mean 11.3 pg/ml]. It was estimated also in 20 malignant patients 10 of them with breast cancer and the other 10 with bladder cancer. The preoperative level mean was 28.73 and 38.06 pg/ml and the postoperative one was 29.2 and 40.68 pg/ml respectively. TNF level was found high in the malignant patients in the preoperative and postoperative samples in comparison with the control group and the difference was statistically significant [P <0.05]. The difference between the preoperative level and the postoperative one was not statistically significant. TNF was estimated also in 20 patients with sepsis syndrome, 10 of them have been subjected to indomethacin treatment and TNF level was estimated before and after its injection. TNF was found higher in septicemic patients compared to the control group and this increase was statistically highly significant [P <0.005]. TNF level decreased after indomethacin injection but this decrease was not statistically significant