Annales de médecine interne
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Ann Med Interne (Paris) · Jan 1992
Removal of circulating tumor necrosis factor. Its role in septic shock treatment.
The tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a polypeptide secreted by macrophages in response to endotoxins, especially from Gram-negative bacteria. Previous investigations suggest that TNF plays a prominent role in septic shock and meningococcal disease toxicity. A positive correlation was found between the initial serum TNF level and the patient's outcome. ⋯ Serum TNF levels were found to be decreased by an average of 62% after the exchange. We conclude that exchange therapies are efficient in removing plasma TNF. Nevertheless, because of the limited number of patients treated, it is not possible to evaluate the clinical efficacy of such techniques.