Assessment of a Possible Imbalance between Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) and Soluble TNF Receptor Forms in Tuberculous Infection of the Central Nervous System
- 1 July 1995
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in The Journal of Infectious Diseases
- Vol. 172 (1) , 301-304
- https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/172.1.301
Abstract
Distributions of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and its soluble receptor forms, R55-BP and R75BP, were analyzed in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with severe acute or chronic central nervous system infections. Tuberculous infections were associated with high ratios of R55-BP and R75-BP to TNF, 27.2 and 28.0, respectively, suggesting a small biologically active fraction of TNF. The opposite was found in subjects with acute bacterial meningitis: They had large fractions of biologically active TNF and thus low ratios of R55-BP and R75-BP to TNF, 3.7 and 4.0, respectively. It is hypothesized that chronic infectious diseases, such as tuberculous infections, may be associated with inadequate production of TNF and a concomitant relative increase of soluble TNF receptors, which may prolong the disease.Keywords
This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: