title: Preoperative and postoperative levels of interleukin-6 in patients with acute appendicitis: comparison between open and laparoscopic appendectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an early marker of systemic inflammatory response and tissue damage. This study aimed to evaluate the levels of IL-6 after open and laparoscopic appendectomy to compare the degree of surgical stress associated with these procedures.
  
  
  METHODS
  The levels of IL-6 were measured pre- and postoperatively in the plasma of 37 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of acute appendicitis. After preoperative randomization, 22 patients underwent open appendectomy, and 15 patients underwent laparoscopic appendectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The preoperative concentrations of IL-6 were 7.2 +/- 5.6 pg/ml in the open appendectomy group, as compared with 12.1 +/- 9.7 pg/ml in the laparoscopic appendectomy group (p < 0.05). The postoperative levels were 16.9 +/- 15.7 and 23.2 +/- 19.4 pg/ml, respectively. The mean postoperative to preoperative ratio of IL-6 was slightly higher for open (2.7 +/- 2.4) than for laparoscopic (2.3 +/- 1.6) appendectomy, but the difference did not reach statistical significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The operative stress in open as compared with laparoscopic appendectomy is not reflected by circulating levels of IL-6.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Laboratories, Bikur Cholim Hospital, 5 Strauss Street, Jerusalem, 91002, Israel. malmagor@bikurholim.org.il
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Almagor
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mintz
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sibirsky
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Durst
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001062:Appendectomy / Q000379:methods*; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6