Longitudinal Profiling of Plasma Cytokines and Its Association With Postoperative Delirium in Elderly Patients Undergoing Major Lower Limb Surgery: A Prospective Observational Study.

Background: Surgery is accompanied by a systemic inflammatory response that may presage delirium in susceptible individuals. Little is known about the trajectory of plasma proinflammatory cytokines and their potential associations with postoperative delirium (POD). The current study longitudinally assessed both pro and anti-inflammatory plasma cytokine response and development of POD in older surgical patients to investigate associations with individual and/or clusters of cytokines that may indicate pathogenic mechanisms.