title: Carotid surgery affects plasma kynurenic acid concentration: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An increase in plasma kynurenic acid (KYNA) concentration has been observed following surgery, inflammation, and cerebral pathologies. The aim of the present study was to analyze the changes in plasma KYNA concentration in patients undergoing carotid surgery (CS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult patients undergoing elective carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or carotid angioplasty with stent placement (CAS) were studied. Plasma KYNA concentrations were analyzed before surgery and at 4 time points after CS. The amount of inflammation was measured as neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty patients (10 female and 30 male) aged 55-86 years of age were evaluated in this study. In patients with unstable carotid plaque, the plasma KYNA concentration was higher than in patients with stable carotid plaque. Moreover, the NLR was significantly higher in patients with unstable carotid plaque undergoing CEA than in patients undergoing CAS. Plasma KYNA concentration increased after surgery in patients undergoing CEA and CAS. There was a strong correlation between plasma KYNA concentration and NLR in patients with postoperative neurological disorders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CS increases plasma KYNA concentration, and changes in plasma KYNA concentration can indicate neurologic outcomes in patients undergoing CS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery and Angiology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Terlecki
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Paulina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pawlik
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiiology and Intensive Therapy, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iwaniuk
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kocki
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery and Angiology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Stanisław
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Przywara
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery and Angiology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ilzecki
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery and Angiology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zubilewicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiiology and Intensive Therapy, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kowalczyk
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Connective Tissue Diseases, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parada-Turska
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Therapy, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dąbrowski
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D017130:Angioplasty / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000601:surgery*; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007736:Kynurenic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D008214:Lymphocytes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D007736:Kynurenic Acid