Endogenous tumor necrosis factor-alpha in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Serum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) concentration was assayed in 105 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma using a sensitive ELISA technique with detection level of 10 pg/ml. The TNF levels were detectable in 45 of 63 (71.4%) patients newly diagnosed for the malignancy and 29 of 42 (69%) patients in remission following treatment with radiotherapy. In 25 normal controls the TNF were less than 10 pg/ml. While TNF may be present in the majority of the patients with the malignant disease, the TNF concentration appeared to have no clinical significance in diagnosis or prognosis of the patients.