OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between the presence of the TNF2 allele and plasma concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) and soluble TNF receptor (sTNF-R) with the development of acute severe pancreatitis (ASP) and severe sepsis.

METHODSGenomic DNA was prepared from peripheral blood leukocytes. The TNF1 and TNF2 biallelic polymorphisms were identified by analyzing NcoI-digested DNA fragments obtained from PCR products. Plasma levels of TNF alpha and sTNF-R were measured by EASIA.

RESULTSThe overall TNF2 allele frequency in ASP patients was comparable to that found in healthy volunteers (29.2% vs. 29.3%, P > 0.05). Severe sepsis occurred in 26 of 72 patients. Patients with severe sepsis showed a significantly higher prevalence of TNF2 than those without (46.2% vs. 19.6%, P < 0.05). Plasma TNF alpha, sTNF-R I, and sTNF-R II levels were (36 +/- 31) pg/ml, (5.4 +/- 3.5) ng/ml, and (11.2 +/- 7.8) ng/ml, respectively, in patients with severe sepsis, and (31 +/- 25) pg/ml, (4.6 +/- 3.8) ng/ml, and (8.8 +/- 6.6) ng/ml in non-severe sepsis subjects. Differences in TNF levels were not statistically significant between patients with ASP and control group (P > 0.05). Moreover, there was no correlation between TNF2 allele frequency and TNFalpha levels [(37 +/- 31) pg/ml vs. (31 +/- 25) pg/ml in TNF2 group and TNF1 group, respectively, P > 0.05].

CONCLUSIONSOur results suggest that there is no relationship between ASP and the TNF2 allele, but that the TNF2 allele is associated with a susceptibility to severe sepsis as a result of ASP.