Abstract
Inflammatory cytokines have been implicated in myocardial function, severe congestive
heart failure and sepsis. The present study tested the hypothesis that cytokine levels
are elevated after low-risk coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), and that they may
be associated with postoperative cardiac dysfunction. Twenty male patients undergoing
elective CABG in cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were studied. Plasma levels of tumor
necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and IL-10 were measured before
anesthesia induction, 5 minutes after, and 1, 4, and 20 hours after reperfusion to
the myocardium. Levels of the MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase (CK-MB) were measured
postoperatively. Hemodynamic data were also recorded. Myocardial ischemia was followed
by an increase in the plasma levels of IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10. The duration of IL-6
response lasted throughout the postoperative period studied. Plasma cytokine levels
at 1 hour after reperfusion correlated with the maximum CK-MB value (IL-6, r=0.587,
p < 0.01; IL-8, r=0.460, p < 0.05; IL-10, r=0.570, p < 0.05). Higher plasma IL-6 and
IL-8 levels after reperfusion tended to be linked with lower cardiac index. The present
results confirm that the levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 are
elevated after CABG. Increased systemic pro-inflammatory cytokine levels were partially
associated with postoperative myocardial dysfunction.