Tumour necrosis factor gene polymorphisms and migraine in Greek children.

Introduction: Migraine is considered to be a multifactorial, complex disease. Various genetic and environmental factors contribute to the manifestation of this disease. The aim of this study was to determine whether polymorphisms in the tumour necrosis factor (TNF) region are associated with the risk of migraine.

Procalcitonin as an early marker of bacterial infection in neutropenic febrile children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Objective And Design: The aim of this study was to assess the value of procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a), interleukin (IL)-1b, IL-8, and soluble TNF receptor II (sTNFRII) in early and rapid diagnosis of infection in neutropenic children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and to distinguish bacterial from viral infections.

Patients: The study included five groups (A, B, C, D, and E) of children with ALL undergoing intensive chemotherapy. Groups A and B consisted of neutropenic children with bacterial and viral infection, respectively.