[Tumor necrosis factor alpha levels in patients with chronic liver diseases and its relationship to pathogenesis]

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) was measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. TNF alpha levels in peripheral blood of patients with twenty-one cases of chronic persistent hepatitis (7.3 +/- 9.5 micrograms/L), fourty-two cases of chronic active hepatitis (15.4 +/- 31.1 micrograms/L), one hundred and six cases of liver cirrhosis (11.1 +/- 17.7 micrograms/L) and one hundred and ten cases of parimary hepatocellular carcinoma (10.9 +/- 13.3 micrograms/L) was significantly increased when compared with normal controls (4.3 +/- 2.9 micrograms/L) (P < 0.01). There was significant correlation between tumor necrosis factor alpha levels and ALT elevation and also between TNF alpha levels and bilirubin contents more than 100 mumol/L in chronic hepatitis patients. Tumor necrosis factor alpha levels was also significantly in HBV concomitant with HCV and/or HDV infection than in HBV infection alone. There was no correlation in tumor necrosis factor alpha levels and AFP concentrations. These findings show that tumor necrosis factor participates in the activity process of liver disease.