Relationship between circulating high density lipoprotein concentrations and interleukin-6 release during abdominal operations

Objective:

To investigate whether circulating high density lipoprotein (HDL) concentrations influence inflammatory cytokine release during abdominal operations.

Setting:

University Hospital, Japan.

Patients:

30 patients who underwent curative operations for gastric cancer.

Main outcome measures

Serum HDL and cytokine concentrations were measured preoperatively, and portal and systemic blood samples were taken for the analysis of cytokine and endotoxin concentrations during operations.

Results:

Portal blood interleukin-6 (IL-6) values of patients with low serum HDL concentrations (n = 6) (<0.9 mmol/L) were significantly (p < 0.01) higher than those in patients with normal or high HDL concentrations (n = 24) (≥0.9 mmol/L) (80.63 (74.62) pg/ml (mean (SD)) compared with 10.25 (9.61) pg/ml.). Moreover, an inverse correlation (r = −0.43, p < 0.05) was found between portal blood IL-6 concentrations and circulating HDL concentrations.

Conclusions:

We suggest that serum HDL concentrations influence IL-6 release in response to abdominal operations. Circulating HDL particles may reduce endotoxin-induced IL-6 release in humans. Copyright © 2001 Taylor and Francis Ltd.