Method:ELISA 

INTRODUCTION

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is a cytokine involved in systemic inflammation. The primary role of TNF-α is in the regulation of immune cells.

TNF-α stimulates the acute phase reaction, induces apoptotic cell death, cellular proliferation and differentiation, inhibits tumor genesis and viral

replication. Dysregulation of TNF-α production has been implicated in a variety of human diseases like cancer and Alzheimer.

TNF-α is secreted by macrophages, monocytes, neutrophils, T-cells as well as NK-cells (natural killer cells) following their stimulation by bacterial

lipopolysaccharides. Human TNF-α is a non-glycosylated protein with a molecular weight of 17.5 kDa and a length of 157 amino acids. TNF-α shows

a wide spectrum of biological activities. It causes cytolysis and/or cytostasis of many tumor cell lines in vitro. Within hours after injection, TNF-α leads to

destruction of small blood vessels within malignant tumors. TNF-α enhances phagocytosis and cytotoxicity in neutrophilic granulocytes and modulates

the expression of many other proteins.

Elevated TNF-α serum levels are found in patients suffering from Crohn’s disease, ulcerating colitis or rheumatoid arthritis.