title: Procalcitonin in abdominal exudate to predict prolonged postoperative ileus following colorectal carcinoma surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prolonged postoperative ileus (PPOI) is a common problem after major abdominal surgery and can cause postoperative morbidity, extended hospitalization, as well as increased health care costs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether the levels of cytokines from abdominal exudate are predictive for early diagnosis of PPOI after colorectal surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred patients who had undergone elective resection for carcinoma of the sigmoid or rectum were recruited. The abdominal exudate was obtained from a drain tube after surgery to examine the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). The relationship between cytokine levels on postoperative day 1, 3 and 5 and the occurrence of PPOI was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight patients developed PPOI, which was diagnosed on postoperative day 10-15. PCT levels on postoperative day 1 and 3 were not significantly different between the 8 patients who developed PPOI and the 92 patients without PPOI. In contrast, PCT levels on day 5 were significantly higher in patients who developed PPOI than in patients without PPOI. The levels of CRP and TNF-α were irregular from day 1 to 5, and were not significantly different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased PCT levels in abdominal exudate may predict PPOI in the early period following colorectal surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal Surgery, Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, PR China.
authors.forename: Pengcheng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Zhonglin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Jihong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhongchuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Honghua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cui
mesh_terms: D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005122:Exudates and Transudates / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D045823:Ileus / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002116:Calcitonin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide