Continuous assessment of concentrations of cytokines in experimental injuries of the extremity.

Background. Inflammation plays an important part in the healing process. Little is known about the extent local inflammatory trauma response interacts with the central circulation and inflammation produced by central organs. The aim of the present study was to examine whether high cut-off microdialysis catheters offer potential to in real time assess interstitial cytokines variations in conjunction to markers of metabolism distal to a blunt vascular contusion. Methods. In a standardised contusion trauma model, microdialysis catheters (high MW (100kDa)) were inserted in the gracilis muscle distal to the trauma for the local assessment of IL-6, IL-8, TNF-alpha, total protein and the metabolic mediators (glycerol, puruvate and lactate). The contra lateral uninjured leg served as control of the centrally mediated inflammation propagated to the extremities. Results. The trauma led to a significant and quantitatively large (8-10 fold) increase in inflammatory cytokines (IL6 and 8) as measured both in the injured and control legs. There was only a minor, and not significant increase in concentrations of cytokines in the injured leg compared to the control leg.. There were no signs of ischemia in either leg. Conclusion. The new finding in this study is that both central, and local, inflammatory responses as well as metabolic mediators may be assessed continuously in skeletal muscle tissue distal to a major injury in an animal model. The findings suggest that the large trauma elicits a generalised inflammatory response to trauma rather than propagating a local one distal to the trauma.