SUMMARYFourteen patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) were studied for the production of tumour necrosis factor (TNF), the activation ofthe interferon (IFN) system and cell-mediated cytotoxicity (CMC) and the results were compared with 16 age-matched healthy women. AN patients had significantly increased spontaneous TNF production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in vitro (16 + 5 tJ/ml uc' /.vw.v 4 + 3 U/ml in the control group; P<005), although no TNF was detectable in the plasma from cither group, TNF production in vilro, following stimulation of PBMC by phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) or tumour cells, was similar in AN patients and controls; however, lipopolysaeeharide (LPS) indueed TNF produetion was found to be lower in AN (f

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