title: The peri-operative cytokine response in infants and young children following major surgery.
abstract: The peri-operative cytokine response was studied in 13 infants and young children undergoing major surgery. All children were anaesthetized with a combined general and epidural anaesthetic technique, followed by post-operative epidural analgesia with bupivacaine and fentanyl. Blood samples were taken before and after surgery, 24 h post-operatively, and finally, when the children were mobilized and had regained gastrointestinal function. Plasma samples were analysed for tumour necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1 alpha, interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6, interferon-gamma, interleukin-10 and the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist. The cytokine responses were highly variable. Overall, no significant changes between pre- and post-operative plasma concentrations were found. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha and the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist were detectable in all children, and a trend towards an early increase in the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist levels at the end of surgery was seen. The other cytokines were only detectable at low concentrations among a minority of children. In conclusion, this study showed highly variable peri-operative cytokine responses in infants and young children undergoing major surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Odense University Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tønnesen
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toft
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bendtzen
mesh_terms: D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008297:Male; D011184:Postoperative Period; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007378:Interleukins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha