Text Box: THE RELATIONSHIP OF TNFα,IL-6 AND BONE MARROW ERYTHROPOIESIS IN THE CHILDREN’S ANEMIA OF CHRONIC DISEASE Zhai XW, Wu Y, Gu XF Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China Objective: To study the relationship of cytokines TNFα,IL-6 and bone marrow BFU-E,CFU-E yields in the children’ s anemia of chronic disease (ACD). Methods: Group A included 15 cases of ACD. There were two control groups. Group B included 10 cases of hemolytic anemia and iron deficiency anemia that had the same hemoglobin (Hb) level and same age. Group C included 10 cases of normal children. Serum TNF, IL-6 levels in all three groups were measured by ELISA. The iron status profile in Group A was detected. The bone marrow BFU-E, CFU-E were detected in all three groups. Results: Serum TNFα, IL-6 levels in Group A were all higher than the levels in both control groups (P<0.05), and they were inversely correlated with serum Hb levels . In the same Hb level of patients BFU-E, CFU-E in Group A were lower than that in Group B (P<0.05), and were inversely correlated with serum TNFα, IL-6 levels. Also BFU-E, CFU-E in group A were significantly lower than that in Group C (P<0.01). Conclusion: It suggested the pathogenesis of ACD in children was related with cytokines TNFα, IL-6, and these cytokines inhibited the bone marrow erythropoiesis. 2315