The clinical significance of inflammatory cytokines in acute lower extremity deep venous thrombosis developed in hospitalized postoperative patients with abdominal/pelvic malignancies

Objective: To explore the association of inflammatory cytokines including CRP (C-reactive protein), IL-6 (interleukin 6), IL-10 (interleukin 10), NF-κB (nuclear factor-kappa B) and Es (E-selectin) with acute lower extremity DVT (deep venous thrombosis) developed in hospitalized postoperative patients with abdominal/pelvic malignancies. Methods: Serum samples were obtained to examine the serum levels of CRP, IL-6, IL-10, NF-κB and Es in hospitalized postoperative patients with abdominal/pelvic malignancies who initially developed acute lower extremity DVT (group A, n = 40), and these serum cytokine levels of group A were compared with those of hospitalized postoperative patients with abdominal/pelvic benign diseases who also developed acute lower extremity DVS (group B, n = 20), the hospitalized postoperative patients with abdominal/pelvic malignancies who did not develop acute lower extremity DVS (group C, n = 40), and the healthy subjects who volunteered as normal controls (group D, n = 20). Results: The serum levels of CRP, IL-6, IL-10, NF-κB and Es in group D were significantly lower than those in groups A, B and C (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in CRP level among groups A, B and C (P > 0.05). The serum levels of IL-6, NF-κB and Es in group A were significantly higher than those in groups B and C (P < 0.05). The serum level of IL-10 in group A was significantly lower than those in groups B and C (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Serum CRP level may not be used as an early predictor for the diagnosis of acute lower extremity DVT developed in hospitalized postoperative patients with abdominal/pelvic malignancies, but the serum IL-6, NF-κB and Es levels can be used as early predictors for this diagnosis. Copyright © 2013 by TUMOR.