Systemic cytokine response after emergency and elective surgery for colorectal carcinoma.

Background: Systemic cytokines (SC) are accepted mediators of host immune response. It is debated if long-term survival is influenced by emergency presentation of colorectal cancer, and the role of immunitary response is still unknown. The aim of this prospective study was to compare the SC response after emergency resection with that after elective resections of colorectal carcinoma.

Maternal serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in missed and threatened abortion.

Problem: A study of association between pro-inflammatory cytokines, and missed and threatened abortions with good outcome has been performed.

Method Of Study: The presence of pro-inflammatory cytokines, namely interleukin (IL)-8 and IL-12 and the soluble interleukin-2 receptor (SIL-2R) was investigated in maternal serum of 12 patients with threatened abortion twice (at admission and discharge), 14 patients with missed abortion, 14 women with healthy first-trimester pregnancy, and 14 normal non-pregnant women, using specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

Results: SIL-2R and, in particular, IL-12 was detected with significantly higher levels in missed abortion group compared with all other groups.

T-helper 2-cytokine levels in women with threatened abortion.

Objective: Considering that successful embryo development has been immunologically attributed to a T-helper 2 phenomenon and that threatened abortion is a very frequent but pathogenetically not well-defined clinical entity, our purpose was to investigate serum levels of the main T-helper 2-type cytokines during the evolution of this condition.

Study Design: Three T-helper 2-type cytokines (interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), interleukin-13 (IL-13)) were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in serum of 12 women with threatened abortion both at hospital admission and discharge time. Fourteen women with missed abortion, 14 normal pregnant women and 14 normal non-pregnant women represent study control groups.