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In a previous preliminary study an excess of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) was found in pleural fluid of patients with complicated parapneumonic effusion (CPPE), and its levels in pleural fluid of these patients were shown to be significantly higher than those in patients with uncomplicated parapneumonic effusion (UCPPE). This larger population study was undertaken to investigate, for the first time, the role of pleural fluid-serum gradient of TNF (TNFgradient) in discrimination between UCPPE and CPPE. Using a commercially available high sensitivity ELISA kit,levels of TNF were measured in serum and pleural fluid of 51 patients with UCPPE and 30 patients with nonempyemic CPPE. The mean ± SEM values of serum TNF (TNFserum), pleural fluid TNF (TNFpf), and TNFgradient in the UCPPE group were 6.65 ± 0.48 pg/mL, 10.85 ± 0.74 pg/mL, and 4.2 ± 0.38 pg/mL respectively, and in the CPPE group they were 7.59 ± 0.87 pg/mL, 54.02 ± 5.43 pg/mL, and 46.43 ± 5.34 pg/mL, respectively. While no significant difference was found between the two groups regarding levels of TNFserum (p = 0.31), a highly significant difference between these two groups was found regarding levels of TNFpf and TNFgradient (p < 0.0001 for both variables). A significant correlation was found between levels of TNFserum and levels of TNFpf in the UCPPE group (r = 0.89, p < 0.0001), but not in the CPPE group (r = 0.18, p < 0.33). TNFgradient at an optimal cut-off level of 9.0 pg/mL was found to be a good marker for discrimination between UCPPE and CPPE (sensitivity, 96.7%, specificity, 98%, accuracy, 97.5%, and p < 0.0001). In conclusion, levels of TNFpf but not TNFserum are significantly higher in CPPEs than those in UCPPEs where TNFgradient at an optimal cut-off level of 9.0 pg/mL is a good marker for discrimination between UCPPE and CPPE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Odeh M, Sabo E, Srugo I, Oliven A. Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α correlate with severity of hepatic encephalopathy due to chronic liver failure. Liver International 2004: DOI: 10.1111/j.1478-3231.2004.0894.x. © Blackwell Munksgaard 2004 Several studies have shown that serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) are significantly elevated in patients with acute and chronic liver diseases, where these elevations are independent of the etiology of the underlying disease. Serum levels of TNF are significantly higher in patients with cirrhosis than in those without cirrhosis, reaching the highest levels in decompensated cirrhosis. It has also been shown that plasma levels of TNF correlate with the severity of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in fulminant hepatic failure. However, still there are no published data regarding the relationship between blood levels of TNF and the presence or severity of HE in patients with chronic liver failure. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between serum levels of TNF and clinical grades of HE in patients with liver cirrhosis. Using a commercially available high-sensitivity enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit, serum levels of TNF were measured in 74 patients with liver cirrhosis in various clinical grades of HE (grades 0–4). The mean±SEM values of serum levels of TNF at presentation in patients with grade 0 of HE ( n=23), grade 1 ( n=12), grade 2 ( n=14), grade 3 ( n=16), and grade 4 ( n=9) were 4.50±0.46, 9.10±1.0, 12.98±1.22, 21.51±2.63, and 58.26±19.7 pg/ml, respectively. A significant positive correlation was found between serum levels of TNF and the severity of HE ( P<0.0001). Serum levels of TNF correlate positively with the severity of HE in patients with chronic liver failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]