Interferon gamma and tumour necrosis factor alpha in relation to anaemia and prognosis in childhood cancer.

This study examined whether the initial plasma levels of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) and interferon gamma (IFNgamma) in 131 children with newly diagnosed cancer were associated with haematopoietic suppression, and whether plasma levels of TNFalpha or haemoglobin at diagnosis affects long-term prognosis in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).IFNgamma, and possibly also TNFalpha, were related to anaemia in children with solid tumours. Neither TNFalpha levels nor Hb levels were associated with increased risk of ALL relapse.