IL-6 AND SOLUBLE IL-6 RECEPTOR LEVELS CHANGE DIFFERENTLY AFTER SURGERY BOTH IN THE BLOOD AND IN THE OPERATIVE FIELD

• Published in: Cytokine (Philadelphia, Pa.) Vol. 9; no. 6; pp. 447 - 452
• Main Authors: Hisano, Saburo, Sakamoto, Kiyoshi, Ishiko, Takatoshi, Kamohara, Hidenobu, Ogawa, Michio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-06-1997
• Subjects: Aged; Antigens, CD - blood; Antigens, CD - metabolism; Body Fluids - immunology; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Humans; IL-6; Interleukin-6 - blood; Interleukin-6 - metabolism; Kinetics; Male; Middle Aged; Postoperative Complications - blood; Postoperative Complications - immunology; Receptors, Interleukin - blood; Receptors, Interleukin - metabolism; Receptors, Interleukin-6; soluble IL-6 receptor; Stress, Physiological - blood; Stress, Physiological - immunology; surgery; trauma; trauma; soluble IL-6 receptor; IL-6; surgery
• ISSN: 1043-4666; 1096-0023
• DOI: 10.1006/cyto.1996.0187

To investigate alterations in post-operative levels of IL-6 and soluble IL-6 and soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R), we examined their levels in serum and samples of drainage fluids from 26 patients who underwent thoracoabdominal surgery. Serum IL-6 levels reached the maximum within the first post-operative day and decreased thereafter. The IL-6 levels in the drainage fluid were much higher than in the serum (458±101-fold; mean±SEM) in the early post-operative phase. A large quantity of sIL-6R levels was present in blood samples. The time course of serum sIL-6R levels in 26 patients showed no significant change. sIL-6R concentrations in the drainage fluid were significantly lower than in serum (4.5±1.1-fold; mean±SEM) in the early post-operative phase. We propose that IL-6 is produced in the operative field and enters the peripheral blood stream to induce elevation of serum IL-6. On the other hand, sIL-6R levels in the operative field are lower than in the serum, and the serum sIL-6R levels are not influenced by surgical trauma. These data suggest that sIL-6R is being constantly produced in areas other than the operative field, while sIL-6R level is reduced by consumption in the operative field. Mechanisms to cope with surgical stress, involving sIL-6R together with its ligand IL-6 may thus exist.