The effect of additional brain injury on systemic interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-13 levels in trauma patients

Objective: Besides interleukin (IL)-10, accumulating evidence from in vitro studies has indicated a strong antiinflammatory capacity for IL-13. A pros pective clinical study was undertaken to assess the influence of additional brain injury on systemic IL-IO and IL-13 levels as markers for the antiinf lammatory state in trauma patients. Material and methods: The course of IL-10 and IL-13 plasma levels from 32 p atients with an isolated severe head trauma (SHT), 50 patients with multipl e injuries and additional SHT and 39 patients with multiple injuries withou t SHT was detected using ELISA-technique. Blood samples from 37 healthy blo od donors were analysed for control. Results. IL-IO levels were significantly elevated in all 3 injury groups wi thin 3 h after trauma. The lowest initial release was detected in patients with an isolated SHT (Injury severity score; ISS: 18.1 +/- 5.6). No differe nce could be demonstrated for the IL-IO levels from multiple injured patien ts with (ISS: 35.3 +/- 9.6) or without additional SHT (ISS: 25.5 +/- 11.7), though there were relevant differences in the ISS. In contrast, the IL-13 plasma levels were not elevated systemically after trauma. Conclusions: IL-10 but not IL-13 is a detectable antiinflammatory marker in trauma patients with or without brain injury and to a minor degree in pati ents with an isolated SHT.