title: Advanced glycation end products as a biomarker for incisional hernia.
abstract: Incisional hernia is one of the most frequent complications after abdominal surgery, with incidences up to 30%. A reliable biomarker for the prediction of this complication is lacking. Advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs), also known as non-enzymatic collagen crosslinks, are correlated with aging, smoking, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress. In this study the accumulation of AGEs and the relation between AGEs and incisional hernia were investigated.
  
  
  
  In an exploratory case-control study, 23 patients with incisional hernia after midline incision were compared with 17 patients without clinical or radiological signs of incisional hernia after midline incision, AGEs were measured using a Skin Auto Fluorescence (SAF)-reader.
  
  
  
  Twenty-three patients with a clinically significant incisional hernia and 17 control patients were included. The study groups had significant differences in mean BMI. There was a significant difference between mean AGEs in patients with and without incisional hernia after midline incision (3.00 ± 0.15 vs. 2.56 ± 0.11, T test p = 0.03).
  
  
  
  AGE accumulation measured in the skin indirectly with autofluorescence might be associated with incisional hernia. Prospective larger trials should confirm this finding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, 's-Gravendijkwal 230, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. joris.harlaar@gmail.com.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Harlaar
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Eker
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, 's-Gravendijkwal 230, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Vakalopoulos
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Franciscus Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Cabezas
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Franciscus Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: van der Ham
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Franciscus Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Vrijland
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jeekel
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, 's-Gravendijkwal 230, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Lange
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D000069290:Incisional Hernia / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced
keywords: Advanced glycation endproducts; Biomarker; Collagen cross links; Incisional hernia