Predictive value of interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8) and gastric intramucosal pH (pH-i) in major abdominal surgery

Objective: To study plasma concentrations of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interleukin 8 (IL-8) in patients with splanchnic hypoxia, as documented by gastric intramucosal measurements (pH-i), during major abdominal surgery and the relationship between IL-6 and IL-8 concentrations and postoperative complications as well as clinical outcome. Design: A prospective study. Patients: Twelve patients scheduled for major abdominal surgery with no evidence of coexisting infectious disease. Results: Six out of seven samples from patients with postoperative complications showed intraoperative pH-i levels lower than 7.32 and IL-6 levels higher than 300 pg/ml. Seven out of nine samples from patients without complications showed pH-i levels higher than 7.32 and IL-6 levels lower than 300 pg/ml. The difference in the pattern of distribution was statistically significant (p < 0.01). Only two out of seven samples of patients with postoperative complications showed intraoperative pH-i levels lower than 7.32 and IL-8 levels higher than 60 pg/ml. It was not possible to identify a clear distribution pattern of data points for IL-6 and IL-8 during the postoperative period. Conclusions: Intraoperative splanchnic ischemia, as documented by gastric intramucosal pH-i, is directly correlated to the increase of IL-6 plasma levels and to the incidence of postoperative complications, while IL-8 levels showed no correlation with surgical complications. Received: 4 June 1997 Accepted: 26 January 1998