Significance of levels of IL-6 and IL-8 after trauma: a study of 11 cytokines post-mortem using multiplex immunoassay.
OBJECTIVE
To identify cytokines useful for diagnosis of traumatic death.


METHODS
Post-mortem serum levels of 11 cytokines were assayed for 43 people who died of traumatic injury or from non-traumatic causes. Levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, gamma interferon, interleukin IL-1beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13, and tumour necrosis factor-alpha were measured using multiplex immunoassay.


RESULTS
Levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (p<0.01), IL-6 (p<0.001), and IL-8 (p<0.01) among the traumatic group were significantly higher than those among the non-traumatic group. Anatomical trauma severity was also estimated using the total abbreviated injury scale and injury severity score, revealing significant positive correlations between the former and IL-6 (rs=0.6523, p<0.01) and IL-8 levels (rs=0.6584, p<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Levels of IL-6 and IL-8 assist differentiation between traumatic and non-traumatic death, are useful objective indices of trauma severity and can support a diagnosis of traumatic death.
Mimasaka
S
S
Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan. Mimasaka9@aol.com
Funayama
M
M
Hashiyada
M
M
Nata
M
M
Tsunenari
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy / Q000379:methods*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8