The Journal of Infectious Diseases · 1991 · 116 citations · 35 references
Veterinary MedicineImmunologyInfectious DiseasesClinical ImmunologyImmunopathologyInflammationHost-parasite Immune InteractionsImmunopathology Of Parasitic DiseaseImmunoregulation In Parasitic InfectionInnate Immune Responses To ParasitesParasitic PathologyProtozoan PathogenesisImmunopathology Of LeishmaniasisLeishmania ImmunoregulationLeishmania-specific T Cell ResponsesLeishmaniasis PathogenesisLeishmaniasis PathologyMacrophage Responses To LeishmaniaTreatment Of LeishmaniasisVisceral Leishmaniasis
High tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) levels were present in the serum of 24 of 28 active visceral leishmaniasis (VL) patients (142.9 +/- 113.9 pg/ml, mean +/- SD), whereas levels were not elevated in 26 of 30 patients with cryptic leishmanial infection (16 asymptomatic, 4 with self-healing subclinical infection, and 10 posttreatment VL cases). Serum TNF alpha levels were also not elevated in 15 normal volunteers (11.3 +/- 15.6 pg/ml) and in 10 patients with tegumentary leishmaniasis (19.1 +/- 10.8 pg/ml). Leishmanial infection of human monocyte-derived macrophages enhanced the basal TNF alpha production by these cells, and this effect was further potentiated by treatment with recombinant interferon-gamma. After effective treatment of VL patients, serum TNF alpha levels dropped rapidly (129 +/- 112 vs. 9 +/- 13 pg/ml in 10 days), even before clinical parameters such as spleen size or parasitism, white blood cell count, or levels of hemoglobin returned to normal values. On the other hand, patients unresponsive to treatment remained with elevated levels (276 +/- 69 vs. 155 +/- 71 pg/ml in 10 days). Thus, serum TNF alpha levels in VL patients are a good parameter to monitor in determining host response to therapy.
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Shock and Tissue Injury Induced by Recombinant Human Cachectin
Kevin J. Tracey, Bruce Beutler, Stephen F. Lowry et al. · Science · 1986 · 2.6K citations