SEQUENTIAL-CHANGES IN THE CELL MEDIATORS OF PERITONEAL AND WOUND FLUIDS AFTER SURGERY

The concentrations of cell mediators in the peritoneal and wound fluid s of patients who underwent abdominal surgery or mastectomy were deter mined sequentially and compared with the concomitant changes in blood components. The level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the peritoneal and wo und fluids was significantly higher than the plasma level after gastre ctomy (P < 0.001), cholecystectomy (P < 0.05), and mastectomy (P < 0.0 5), although the level of plasma IL-6 was also higher postoperatively than before surgery (P < 0.001, P < 0.05). Significantly higher levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha were detected in the peritoneal and wo und fluids (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, respectively) after surgery despite it s absence in plasma. A platelet-specific protein and a protein specifi c for fibroblasts were also measured. Thus, mediators derived from var ious cells were shown to be present in human peritoneal and wound flui ds, indicating that the local production of these mediators plays an i mportant role in the process of tissue repair.