Evaluation of a possible inflammatory response after appendectomy for non-perforated appendicitis in children.
BACKGROUND
The inflammatory process in the post-appendectomy period is not well characterized. In a pilot study, we prospectively followed the kinetics of different inflammatory mediators before and after appendectomy in children, and compared the results of the groups open appendectomy (OA) and laparoscopic appendectomy (LA).


METHODS
Levels of sP-selectin, tPA, MCP-1, IL-6, IL-8, sVCAM-1, and sCD40L were measured before appendectomy and on the next three consecutive days in the serum of 25 children (16 males and 9 females) aged 7 - 16 years (mean 12.6+/-2.47 years) with non-perforated acute appendicitis.


RESULTS
LA and OA were performed in 16 and 9 patients respectively. None of the markers of inflammation differed significantly by surgical approach at any point of observation. However, sP-selectin, MCP-1 and sVCAM-1 levels were found to have significantly different postoperative kinetics with a trend towards higher values in the laparoscopic group compared to the open appendectomy group (p=0.034, p=0.016 and p=0.025, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
The cytokines sP-selectin, MCP-1 and sVCAM-1 may play a role in the possible post-appendectomy cytokine activation after non-perforated appendicitis. Since this phenomenon is more evident after LA than after OA, the contribution of the different LA procedures has to be further investigated.
The E. Wolfson Medical Center, Department of Pediatric Surgery, 62 Halokhamim Street, Holon, Israel. serour@wolfson.health.gov.il
F
F
Serour
A
A
Herman
I
I
Babai
A
A
Gorenstein
N
N
Gershon
E
E
Somekh
I
I
Dalal
D000293:Adolescent; D001062:Appendectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000601:surgery*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D023201:CD40 Ligand / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D051916:Membrane Cofactor Protein / Q000097:blood; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000097:blood; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000097:blood; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood
D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D051916:Membrane Cofactor Protein; D019007:P-Selectin; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D023201:CD40 Ligand; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator