Objective：To investigate the changes of the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in patients with hypertensive renal damage, whereby to try to study the correlation of TNF-α with the hypertensive renal damage. Methods：Seventy three patients with primary hypertension were divided into two groups according to their urinary albumin excretion rate(UAER): normoalbuminuric hypertensive group(n=37), hypertensive renal damage group (n=36). Thirty normotensive healthy persons were selected as healthy control group. TNF-α was measured using radioimmune assay. Results：TNF-α were significantly higher in patients with essential hypertension than those in healthy control group(P<0.05). In patients with hypertension, those with renal damage had a higher TNF-α level than those without renal damage(P<0.05). TNF-α was found to have correlation with urinary albumin excretion(UAER)(r=0.703, P<0.01), but no correlation with the level of blood pressure. Conclusions：TNF-α is increased in patients with hypertensive renal damage, indicating that TNF-α may play a role in the pathological mechanisms of hypertensive renal damage.
