Evidence of a Role of Tumor Necrosis Factor α in Refractory Asthma

The development of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) antagonists has made it feasible to investigate the role of this cytokine in refractory asthma.

We measured markers of TNF-alpha activity on peripheral-blood monocytes in 10 patients with refractory asthma, 10 patients with mild-to-moderate asthma, and 10 control subjects. We also investigated the effects of treatment with the soluble TNF-alpha receptor etanercept (25 mg twice weekly) in the patients with refractory asthma in a placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover pilot study.