Residual inflammatory process after aortoiliac reconstructive surgery

Background. The aim of the present study was to investigate the inflammator y reaction and its evolution in patients who underwent a prosthetic vascula r procedure. Moreover the participation of this chronic process, during the follow-up, as a promoting or a consequence of vascular injury must be disc ussed. Methods. Thirty-four patients were enrolled in the study. All patients had an aortic disease and. underwent a prosthetic vascular procedure. Preoperat ive exclusion criteria were an emergency situation, diabetes, infection, ch ronic inflammatory disease, cancer and hemopathy. Postoperative exclusion c riteria were the same together with abdominal complications and additional surgery during the follow-up. The inflammatory process was investigated wit h the measurement of blood acute phase proteins, haptoglobin, alpha(1)-glyc oprotein acid, C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, before, immediately af ter surgery and several months after surgery. Results. An increase in acute phase proteins was not observed to the same e xtent for all the studied patients. Before the surgical procedure, chronic inflammatory process was revealed by an increase in haptoglobin (52.9 p 100 ) and alpha(1) glycoprotein acid (52.9 p 100) whereas increase in C-reactiv e protein (26.4 p 100) and interleukin-6 (92 p 100) are related to an acute process. Later after surgery, the chronic inflammatory process remained bu t differed from the observed process before surgery only by haptoglobin (61 .7 p 100) and interleukin-6 (47 p 100). Conclusions. The presented results, observed during the follow-up of vascul ar surgery focused on persistent inflammatory process and the surgical proc edure did not modify the time course of this process. The evolutionary dise ase could be considered as chronic and independent of the local effect.