Abstract
Asthma is the most common chronic disease of the airways, involving the imbalance of oxidative and
antioxidative agents. There is an increased free radical generation and a decreased antioxidant enzyme activity.
This study designed to find out the relation between TNF –alpha and oxidative stress in Iraqi patients with
asthma. Seventy subject were enrolled in this study ,twenty patients of them with Asthma and twenty five
subjects who are apparently healthy were taken as a control group. Serum TNF-alpha was determined by using
enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Serum levels of TNF-alpha was highly significantly increase in
asthma group compared with control group (p<0.01) and a significant positive correlation between TNF and
malondialdehyde ( MDA) by affecting TNF level in patients with Asthma .
Keywords : Asthma , TNF- ? , oxidative stress
1. Introduction
The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) through normal cellular metabolism and by means of
exogenous insults is a constant problem for which cells have developed multiple protective mechanisms to
survive. Elevated levels of ROS may induce a variety of pathological changes that are highly relevant in nasal
and airway mucosa (Kim et al.,2012) ,however Chronic inflammatory disorder associated with reversible
airways obstruction (Voynow et al.,2011) .All biological membranes are characterized by the large amounts of
polyunsaturated fatty acid associated with amphipathic lipid and a variety of membrane proteins. Both isolated
polyunsaturated fatty acid and those incorporated into lipid are readily attacked by free radicals, becoming
oxidized into lipid peroxidation (Chung et al.,2010),therefore peroxidized membrane lipid occurs as a result of
oxidative stress in intact cells . Peroxidation of these labile unsaturated fatty acids can damage both protein and
lipids as well as disrupt the structure and function of the membrane in most body cells (Astudillo et al., 2009) .
MDA is one of the most frequently used indicators of lipid peroxidation (AnaL?cia et al., 2012) . TNF are
lymphokines that exist in either an ? or ? form which capable of causing in vivo hemorrhagic necrosis of certain
tumor cells ,but not affecting normal cells. Cytokines ( produced due to activation of T-cells and mast cells) lead
to increased production of histamines, leukotrienes and prostaglandin that have multiple activities. They cause
the characteristic watery Rhinorrhoea by stimulating gland and goblet cell secretion, vasodilatation and blood
vessel leakage (Browning et al .,2013) .
Previous study found increased serum levels of TNF and MDA in bronchia asthma and allergic rhinitis (Abdel-
Raheim., et al 2006 ) .
2. Methods and Patients
This study was conducted with seventy patients with Asthma in Babylon Maternity , Pediatric