title: Systemic stress hormone response in patients undergoing open heart surgery with or without cardiopulmonary bypass.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiopulmonary bypass often causes a stress hormonal response with subsequent changes in hemodynamics and organ perfusion. Leptin, an adipocyte-derived factor, has been proposed to play a role in systemic inflammation. We examined perioperative release of leptin and cortisol in patients undergoing open heart surgery with or without cardiopulmonary bypass.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-nine patients were enrolled in this prospective study. Conventional coronary artery bypass grafting was performed in 19 patients (ONCABG; group I), and heart valve surgery in 15 patients (group II). Fifteen patients (group III) received off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG). Blood samples were collected preoperatively and for as long as 72 hours postoperatively. Plasma levels of leptin and cortisol were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Leptin serum levels decreased during the operation, reaching 73.2% of the baseline in group I, 85.3% in group II, and 38.9% in group III (p < 0.05), 2 hours postoperatively. Thereafter, leptin levels increased gradually to 218.6% of the baseline in group I and 313.7% in group II 24 hours after the operation (p < 0.01). However, patients in the OPCABG group showed only a moderate increase in serum leptin levels. Plasma cortisol levels rose to a maximum of 532.9% of baseline in group I, 526.4% in group II, and 280% in group III 12 hours postoperatively (p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Open heart surgery is associated with acute perioperative changes in plasma levels of neurohormonal stress factors leptin and cortisol. A different pattern of leptin and cortisol release was observed in patients operated on without cardiopulmonary bypass.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. raschid.hoda@med.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: M Raschid
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hoda
authors.forename: Habib
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: El-Achkar
authors.forename: Edgar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Scheffold
authors.forename: Herbert O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Vetter
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Simone
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D047549:Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery*; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin; D006854:Hydrocortisone