title: Innate immunity mediating inflammation secondary to endotracheal intubation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the inflammatory markers associated with short-term endotracheal intubation in healthy surgical patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational and prospective study of subjects scheduled for same-day surgery procedures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Level I trauma center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen healthy patients intubated for same-day surgery procedures. The median duration of surgery was 3 hours.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serial lavages above the tracheal cuff were obtained at the beginning of surgery, at 1 hour, and at the end of surgery; samples were assayed for cellular counts and levels of cytokines and complement 5a (C5a).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total number of polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) increased almost 10-fold from intubation to extubation (P < .01). The levels of 3 of the cytokines measured in tracheal lavage supernatants were significantly elevated over the time of intubation: tumor necrosis factor (TNF) (P < .01), interleukin 6 (IL-6) (P < .01), and IL-1β (P < .025). Levels of IL-8 showed an upward trend over time but were not significantly increased; C5a levels were significantly elevated over time (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Short-term intubation in healthy patients resulted in significant tracheal inflammation. Involvement of the innate immune system as documented in the present study provides information that may help to better understand the pathophysiologic characteristics of subglottic stenosis and other endotracheal injuries secondary to endotracheal intubation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Washington University, St Louis, MO 63110, USA. puyoc@wustl.edu
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Puyo
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Dahms
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003182:Complement C5 / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000502:physiology*; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000379:methods; D014136:Tracheitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003182:Complement C5; D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha