title: High Spinal Anesthesia Enhances Anti-Inflammatory Responses in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery and Aortic Valve Replacement: Randomized Pilot Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiac surgery induces many physiologic changes including major inflammatory and sympathetic nervous system responses. Here, we conducted a single-centre pilot study to generate hypotheses on the potential immune impact of adding high spinal anaesthesia to general anaesthesia during cardiac surgery in adults. We hypothesized that this strategy, previously shown to blunt the sympathetic response and improve pain management, could reduce the undesirable systemic inflammatory responses caused by cardiac surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective randomized unblinded pilot study was conducted on 14 patients undergoing cardiac surgery for coronary artery bypass grafting and/or aortic valve replacement secondary to severe aortic stenosis. The primary outcome measures examined longitudinally were serum pro-inflammatory (IL-6, IL-1b, CCL2), anti-inflammatory (IL-10, TNF-RII, IL-1Ra), acute phase protein (CRP, PTX3) and cardiovascular risk (sST2) biomarkers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The kinetics of pro- and anti-inflammatory biomarker was determined following surgery. All pro-inflammatory and acute phase reactant biomarker responses induced by surgical stress were indistinguishable in intensity and duration between control groups and those who also received high spinal anaesthesia. Conversely, IL-10 levels were markedly elevated in both intensity and duration in the group receiving high spinal anesthesia (p = 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This hypothesis generating pilot study suggests that high spinal anesthesia can alter the net inflammatory response that results from cardiac surgery. In appropriately selected populations, this may add incremental benefit by dampening the net systemic inflammatory response during the week following surgery. Larger population studies, powered to assess immune, physiologic and clinical outcomes in both acute and longer term settings, will be required to better assess potential benefits of incorporating high spinal anesthesia.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00348920.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, St. Boniface Hospital, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Trevor W R
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, St. Boniface Hospital, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kowalski
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Kelsey
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Falk
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, St. Boniface Hospital, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Doug
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maguire
authors.affiliation: Section of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Darren H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Freed
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Kent T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: HayGlass
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal / Q000379:methods*; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery*; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000097:blood; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: C111835:CCL2 protein, human; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; C508609:IL10 protein, human; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II; D016753:Interleukin-10