Cytokine response to ischemia/reperfusion injury in an ex vivo perfused porcine liver model.
BACKGROUND
We evaluated the degree of inflammatory response after ischemia/reperfusion injury by an extracorporeal normothermic autologous hemoperfusion of porcine livers.


METHODS
Livers explanted from 7 pigs were perfused extracorporeally at 39 degrees C with autologous blood. Serum samples were obtained hourly until 6 hours from the beginning of reperfusion and assayed for 9 different cytokines.


RESULTS
Significant elevations in interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-8 were noted following reperfusion (P < .001), with both demonstrating an increase which followed a sigmoid curve; other cytokines that were assessed showed no significant change.


CONCLUSIONS
The ex vivo model excludes the liver from the influence of external systemic factors such as hormones, the autonomic nervous system, and other regulatory molecules produced elsewhere in the body, allowing the response to the ischemia/reperfusion injury to be studied in isolation and in considerable detail. Although this study examined a relatively short period, the increases in only IL-6 and IL-8 suggested that these are important molecules in the early phase after reperfusion.
Gravante
G
G
Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Leicester General Hospital, Leicester, United Kingdom. ggravante@hotmail.com
Ong
S L
SL
Metcalfe
M S
MS
Sorge
R
R
Sconocchia
G
G
Orlando
G
G
Lloyd
D M
DM
Dennison
A R
AR
D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000473:pathology*; D013552:Swine
D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8