SUPPRESSION BY METHYLPREDNISOLONE OF AUGMENTED PLASMA ENDOTOXIN-LIKE ACTIVITY AND INTERLEUKIN-6 DURING CARDIOPULMONARY BYPASS

It has been reported that plasma endotoxin, measured by Limulus amoebo cyte lysate assays, markedly increased during extracorporeal circulati on (ECC). Therefore, this study was undertaken to see if pretreatment with methylprednisolone 30 mg kg(-1) modifies She endotoxaemia and ass ociated increases in plasma cytokines in 17 patients undergoing cardia c surgery requiring ECC. We found that methylprednisolone suppressed s ignificantly the ECC-induced increases in plasma endotoxin, measured b y a conventional Limulus amoebocyte lysate assay (Toxicolor), and inte rleukin-6. Plasma concentrations of endotoxin, measured by a highly sp ecific chromogenic Limulus test (Endospecy test), tumour necrosis fact or-alpha and interleukin-1 beta did not increase significantly in eith er the control or methylprednisolone groups.