Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and neurological diseases Failure in detecting TNFα in the cerebrospinal fluid from patients with multiple sclerosis, AIDS dementia complex, and brain tumours

• Published in: Journal of neuroimmunology Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 41 - 44
• Main Authors: Gallo, Paolo, Piccinno, Maria Grazia, Krzalic, Ljiljana, Tavolato, Bruno
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier B.V 01.06.1989; Amsterdam Elsevier; New York, NY
• Subjects: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - blood; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - cerebrospinal fluid; Acute Disease; AIDS/HIV; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Neoplasms - blood; Brain Neoplasms - cerebrospinal fluid; Cerebrospinal fluid; Cerebrospinal fluid (biochemistry, cytology, circulation, manometry). Intracranial pressure determination; Dementia - blood; Dementia - cerebrospinal fluid; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental - blood; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental - cerebrospinal fluid; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Macaca fascicularis; Medical sciences; Multiple sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis - blood; Multiple Sclerosis - cerebrospinal fluid; Tumor necrosis factor alpha; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - cerebrospinal fluid; Tumor necrosis factor alpha; Multiple sclerosis; Cerebrospinal fluid; Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; Human; Immunopathology; Intracranial; Nervous system diseases; Encephalomyelitis; Cytokine; Monkey; Exploration; AIDS; Hemopathy; Inflammatory disease; Infection; Vertebrata; Experimental disease; Mammalia; Tumor necrosis factor; Viral disease; Animal; Primates; Serum; Tumor; Dementia
• ISSN: 0165-5728; 1872-8421
• DOI: 10.1016/0165-5728(89)90071-4

The presence of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα)/cachetin was investigated in 180 paired cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples from patients with neurological diseases, and in five paired CSF and serum samples of Macacus cynomolgus monkeys with acute monophasic experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (AMEAE). TNFα was never detected in human CSF, even when an extensive demyelination was documented (active multiple sclerosis, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) dementia complex). Only one Macacus with AMEAE had detectable levels of TNFα in CSF but not in serum, suggesting an intrathecal synthesis of this cytokine in AMEAE.