INTERLEUKIN-6 (IL-6) LEVELS IN THE MONITORING OF SURGICAL TRAUMA - A COMPARISON OF SERUM IL-6 CONCENTRATIONS IN PATIENTS TREATED BY CHOLECYSTECTOMY VIA LAPAROTOMY OR LAPAROSCOPY

Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is involved in the processes of inflammation and tissue repair. We have been looking for the correlation between IL-6 c oncentration in patient's serum and the other factors related to the g ravity of surgical trauma. Out of 25 patients with acute cholecystitis , 11 were randomly selected for laparoscopic cholecystectomy and the o ther 14 for open (laparotomic) cholecystectomy. The diagnostic and pro gnostic factors, age, and duration of disease did not differ significa ntly in either group. IL-6 serum levels were monitored by using commer cially available ELISA tests throughout 72 h following the surgery. In patients who underwent laparoscopy, average IL-6 serum levels were si gnificantly (up to fourfold) lower than in their laparotomy-treated co unterparts, and the monitoring of IL-6 serum levels seems to be useful in the evaluation of the extent of trauma caused by surgery.