Value of the determination of TNF-α in the plasma of patients with non-hodgkin's lymphoma

The present report describes the value of the plasma determination of TNF-α, at diagnosis, in 43 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), related to their clinical presentation and the new International Prognosis Index (IPI). We also compare the levels of TNF-α with those of LDH, p-2-microglobulin (P-2-m), and ferritin. At diagnosis, the mean values of the quotients between the marker values and the maximum value of normal (ratio:r-) are placed 7 times higher than normal for r-TNF-α, whereas those of r-p-2-m and r-LDH are 2, 4 and 1, 4 times more respectively. We found a relationship between the value of r-TNF-α and the ECOG, Ann Arbor stage, the number of affected extranodal sites, and between the values of r-P-2-m with r-LDH. The best correlation was obtained between the values of r-TNF-α and r-P-2-m and IPI, however r-TNF-α best stratify the four risk groups in this prognosis index.