Plasma proinflammatory cytokine response to surgical stress in elderly patients

We investigated the change of plasma cytokines concentrations in elderly patients during lower abdominal surgery. Plasma interleukin (IL-)6 concentrations (68.0 +/- 15.4 and 36.1 +/- 20.7 pg/ ml) in elderly patients at 24 h and at 3 days after surgery were significantly higher than those (35.1 +/- 21.5 and 18.6 +/- 10.6 pg/ml) of young adults. Plasma IL-6 concentrations (92.3 +/- 31.9 pg/ml) in elderly patients anesthetized with propofol and fentanyl were significantly higher at the end of the operation than that (57.9 +/- 36.7 pg/ml) of elderly patients anesthetized with sevoflurane and fentanyl. In conclusion, elderly patients have an increased and delayed IL-6 response to surgical trauma compared with young adults. Plasma IL-6 production after surgical trauma in elderly patients with total intravenous anesthesia with propofol was significantly higher than that in elderly patients with sevoflurane anesthesia. (C) 2001 Academic Press.