DYNAMICS OF BLOOD CYTOKINE CONCENTRATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH BACTEREMICINFECTIONS

Cytokines play a major role in the pathophysiology of sepsis and septi c shock. Using enzyme immunoassays the acute serum levels of interleuk in-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), granulocyte-colo ny stimulating factor (G-CSF), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and leukemia inhi bitory factor (LIF) were investigated in 90 patients with positive blo od cultures and clinical signs of infection. In 27 patients samples we re obtained on admission, after 1, 4, 12, 18, and 24 h, and then daily . The acute serum levels of IL-6, TNF-alpha, G-CSF, and IL-8 were sign ificantly higher among patients with severe sepsis. Patients with Gram -negative infection had significantly higher levels of TNF-alpha on ad mission than did patients with Gram-positive infections (p=0.0008). Th e levels of IL-6, G-CSF and, to some extent, TNF-alpha decreased rapid ly in survivors within the first 24 h of admission to hospital and ins titution of treatment. LIF was detected in 8/90 in both survivors and nonsurvivors.