Tumour necrosis factor in bronchopulmonary secretions of patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome.

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) concentrations were measured in the bronchopulmonary secretions of 5 patients with the adult respiratory distress syndrome. Each patient underwent fibreoptic bronchoscopy and bronchopulmonary aspiration, and control samples were obtained in an identical manner from 24 patients who underwent bronchoscopy for other reasons (8 had tuberculosis, 6 had sarcoidosis, and 10 had haemoptysis but no abnormal findings). Aspirated fluid was assayed for the presence of TNF by use of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In the 5 patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome, TNF concentrations exceeded 500 U/ml (12.5 ng/ml), whereas in the control samples no TNF was detected.