Tumour necrosis factor-alpha concentration in severely asthmatic children

• DOI: 10.26719/2000.6.2-3.432
• Publication Date: 2021-09-13T12:37:11Z
• Authors: M. N. Massoud
• Keywords: Inflammation; Male; Analysis of Variance; Chi-Square Distribution; Time Factors; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Infant; Severity of Illness Index; Asthma; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Case-Control Studies; Child, Preschool; Humans; Prednisone; Female; Child

We assessed tumour necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-alpha] concentrations in 80 asthmatic children, 26 with severe asthma in early-phase reaction, 26 with severe asthma in late-phase reaction, 28 with severe asthma controlled in between attacks with oral prednisone and 20 matched control children. TNF-alpha was measured in patients’ plasma and in a supernatant of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated [LPS]peripheral blood mononuclear [PBM] cells. TNF-alpha concentrations in plasma and the supernatant of LPS-stimulated cells were positively correlated and the concentration also correlated positively with the time lapse between the start of the asthma attack and the time of blood sampling. TNF-alpha concentration was significantly higher in the late-phase reaction group compared to the other groups, indicating a need to counteract its release and/or effects early in asthma patients