[Relation of plasma soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor to tumor necrosis factor and clinical features of hepatitis B].

Plasma soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor (sTNFR) was detected by radioimmunoprecipitation-polyethylene glycol assay in 64 patients with viral hepatitis B. The levels of two distinct receptors (sTN-FR1 and sTNFR2) were significantly higher in chronic severe hepatitis (CSH) followed by chronic active hepatitis (CAH), chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH), and acute hepatitis (AH) or controls (P < 0.01). A more markedly increased sTNFR was observed in patients with high SB (> 342 mumol/L), low Pa (< 20%), and secondary infection or fatal outcome. For patients with 20% below of sTNFR levels, the increase of TNF was proportional to that of sTNFR. But, for patients with exceeding 20% of sTNFR, the ratio of TNF/sTNFR became higher. The ratio of TNF to sTNFR may be greatly indicative to determine the clinical severity and outcome. Administration of sTNFR could prevent the adverse pathologic sequence caused by the exaggerated TNF and open a new therapeutical field.