Effects of perioperative protease inhibitor on inflammatory cytokines and acute-phase proteins in patients with hepatic resection.

AIM

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of perioperative administration of ulinastatin, or urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI), on inflammatory cytokines and acute-phase proteins induced by inflammatory cytokines in patients who had undergone hepatic resection.

METHOD

Twenty patients admitted to the hospital for hepatic resection were equally randomized to one of two groups: the UTI group, those who were administered perioperative UTI, and the control group.

RESULTS

The UTI group had no adverse effects from using UTI. Production of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) tended to be attenuated in the UTI group when compared with the control group. Moreover, the UTI group had significantly decreased positive acute-phase C-reactive protein (p < 0.05) and significantly increased negative acute-phase protein prealbumin and retinol-binding protein (p < 0.05). Serum IL-6 levels significantly correlated with serum C-reactive protein levels on postoperative day 1 (r = 0.70, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that perioperative administration of UTI might deserve further assessment for use in modulating acute-phase responses without adverse effects in patients who have undergone hepatic resection.