title: Interleukin 8 mRNA gene expression in peripheral and intra-abdominal neutrophils during human secondary peritonitis.
abstract: The aim of the study was to investigate interleukin 8 (IL-8) mRNA gene expression in circulating and emigrated intra-abdominal neutrophils during human secondary peritonitis intra- and postoperatively (until 96 h). Patients with secondary peritonitis were allocated to two groups, e.g., patients with no complications (n = 10) and patients with complications (organ failure, septic shock, etc., n = 9). Patients with elective abdominal surgery (n = 11) and a group with healthy volunteers (n = 7) were studied as controls. Neutrophil RNA was isolated and semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR was performed. The PCR products were compared with corresponding GAPDH bands (=100%). The highest amount of IL-8 mRNA could be assessed in blood neutrophils of healthy volunteers (87.4% +/- 7.4%). Complicated peritonitis was associated with the lowest concentration of IL-8 mRNA in blood neutrophils intraoperatively (24% +/- 7%, P < 0.05), which showed no recovery throughout the observation period (34% +/- 8%, 96 h postoperatively). IL-8 mRNA concentration in blood neutrophils of patients with uncomplicated peritonitis and patients with elective abdominal surgery was higher intraoperatively (55.2% +/- 9% (uncomplicated peritonitis); 68% +/- 15% (elective abdominal surgery, P < 0.05 versus complicated peritonitis). Thereafter, IL-8 mRNA decreased slightly in both groups, but was distinctly higher than in patients with complicated peritonitis. Emigration to the abdominal cavity resulted in an approximately 2-fold, in some cases 3-fold, increase in the concentration of IL-8 mRNA in emigrated intra-abdominal neutrophils when compared with circulating cells. This increase could be observed in all groups. The long-lasting down-regulation of constitutive gene expression of IL-8 mRNA in blood neutrophils during complicated peritonitis is worrying because IL-8 is an important activator and chemoattractant for neutrophils themselves. It is encouraging that migration to another compartment, e.g., infected abdominal cavity, resulted in an increase in neutrophil IL-8 mRNA during complicated and uncomplicated peritonitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, D-60590 Frankfurt, Germany. holzer@em.uni-frankfurt.de
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Holzer
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schübel
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Konietzny
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
authors.forename: Wolf-Otto
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Bechstein
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Henrich
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism*; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D016209:Interleukin-8; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016753:Interleukin-10; D012313:RNA