Peritoneal Fluid Cytokine and Eicosanoid Levels and Their Relation to the Incidence of Peritoneal Adhesion

Abstract

Objective: To determine the peritoneal fluid content of several cytokines and eicosanoids with inflammatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic, and fibrotic activities, and to assess the relationship of these levels with the incidence of peritoneal adhesions.

Methods: Peritoneal fluids were collected from 30 subjects with adhesions (n = 22) or with normal pelvic anatomy (n = 8), and the level of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-10 (IL-10), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1), granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂), leukotriene B₄ (LTB₄), and thromboxane B₂ (TXB₂) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and radioreceptor assay.

Results: The peritoneal fluid content of these factors varied considerably, with low levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-10, IFN-γ, and GM-CSF. Only IFN-γ levels were significantly lower in subjects with adhesions compared with the normal group (P < .05). The levels of total (latent + active) and active TGF-β1 were higher than those of other cytokines assayed and were significantly higher in subjects with adhesions compared with the normal group (P < .05). The peritoneal fluid content of PGE₂, TXB₂, and LTB₄ was significantly higher than that of the cytokines and was higher, but not significantly so, in subjects with adhesions compared with normal subjects (P = .06).

Conclusion: Although the effect of length of time since the adhesions were formed is not known, the results indicate that peritoneal fluid content of these cytokines and eicosanoids, with the exception of IFN-γ and TGF-β1, does not correlate with the presence of peritoneal adhesions.