[Effects of methylprednisolone pulse therapy on TNF alpha levels in chronic nephritis]

We examined the tumor necrosis factor (TNF alpha) bioactivity in patients with chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) treated with methylprednisolone (MP) pulse therapy (1 course of 1 g/day x 3 days). TNF alpha bioactivity in CGN, including 5 cases of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN), 8 lupus nephritis (LN) and 6 purpura nephritis, was determined by ELISA with TNF alpha monoclonal antibody. TNF alpha values in the serum, urine and cultured lymphocyte supernatant (CLS) of patients was significantly higher than in control. (serum: 131.6 +/- 20.2 vs 70.4 +/- 13.8, urine: 26.2 +/- 8.2 vs 11.2 +/- 2.0, P < 0.05, CLS: 97.4 +/- 9.8 vs 59.5 +/- 10.1, P < 0.05, pretreatment vs control), but it was markedly reduced after treated with MP therapy. (serum: 60.2 +/- 11.2 vs 131.6 +/- 20.2, P < 0.05, urine: 10.2 +/- 1.6 vs 26.2 +/- 8.2, P < 0.05, CLS: 54.1 +/- 11.2 vs 97.4 +/- 9.8, P < 0.05, posttreatment vs pretreatment). These results indicated that TNF alpha levels in serum, urine and supernatant of lymphocyte were markedly higher in chronic nephritis, the MP pulse therapy possessed a striking effect on inhibiting the production of TNF alpha in peripheral lymphocytes.