Inflammatory mediators in patients receiving long-term home parenteral nutrition

This study was designed to examine circulating and urine cytokine levels in patients receiving long-term home total parenteral nutrition (TPN) support . Twelve patients who had been receiving home TPN for more than 1 year (ran ge, 1.3-19.5 years) were enrolled for study. To avoid the potential confoun ding effects of intercurrent infection, patients were studied during period s of clinical stability without clinical evidence of infection. Ten normal healthy volunteers served as controls. Serum levels of albumin and C-reacti ve protein, temperature, body weight, and blood white cell counts were dete rmined. The levels of soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor II (sTNF-RII) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) were measured in serum and 24-hr urine. The result s showed that the concentrations of sTNF-RII and IL-6 in 24-hr urine and se rum were significantly higher in patients, indicating that long-term home T PN may be associated with a persistent low-grade inflammatory state.