Organ-specific regulation of pro-inflammatory molecules in heart, lung, and kidney following brain death.

Background: Nonspecific inflammatory events following brain death may increase the intensity of the immunological host response. The present study investigated the course of pro-inflammatory molecules in heart, lung, kidney, and plasma after brain death induction.

Materials And Methods: Brain death was induced in five pigs by inflation of an intracranial Foley catheter and five pigs were sham-operated as controls.