Clinical and biological significance of interleukin-10 plasma levels in patients with septic shock

Interleukin-10 is a potent macrophage-deactivating cytokine that inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor production. We determined the plasma levels of immunoreactive interleukin-10 in 16 patients with septic shock and in 11 patients with circulatory shock of nonseptic origin. In septic shock, interleukin-10 levels peaked during the first 24 h (median: 48 pg/ml) and decreased progressively till Day 5. In nonseptic shock, interleukin-10 plasma levels also increased during the first 24 h but to a lesser extent (median: 17 pg/ml). In septic shock patients, interleukin-10 plasma levels were positively correlated with tumor necrosis factor (r=0.8,p=0.01) and with parameters of shock severity including lactate levels (r=0.56, p<0.05) and correlated negatively with blood platelet counts (r=–0.65,p<0.05). The decreased production of tumor necrosis factor- and interleukin-6 afterin vitro incubation of whole blood from septic shock patients with lipopolysaccharide was not influenced byin vitro neutralization of interleukin-10. We conclude that interleukin-10 is produced in patients with circulatory shock of septic and nonseptic origin and that the production of this anti-inflammatory cytokine during septic shock correlates positively with the intensity of the inflammatory response.