Cytokine pattern in patients with infections after liver transplantation.

Severe infections are the most frequent cause of death after liver transplantation. Determination of new parameters may increase the knowledge of pathophysiological mechanisms of infection. For this purpose, 81 patients with 85 liver transplants were monitored for various new parameters on a daily basis. Patients with severe infections (n = 10) were compared with patients with mild or asymptomatic cholangitis (n = 11) and with patients with an uneventful postoperative course (n = 37). One-year patient survival was 88.9%; in five patients, death was related to serious infections. Mean neopterin, soluble tumor necrosis factor-RII (sTNF-RII), and hyaluronic acid levels were significantly elevated in patients with serious infections compared with the other two groups (P < or = 0.01). A further increase in sTNF-RII and neopterin levels was observed in patients with lethal infections (P < or = 0.01 versus surviving patients with serious infection). An increase in neopterin levels was observed prior to severe infection, and in six of ten patients, this increase occurred as early as during the reperfusion period. Soluble TNF-RII and hyaluronic acid levels also increased significantly prior to severe infection. Interleukin (IL)-6, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), and sIL-2R increased in patients with serious infection and cholangitis to a similar extent. As part of an overwhelming immune response, a significant increase in IL-6, sIL-2R, and also IL-1 beta levels occurred during the late phase of lethal infection (P < or = 0.01 versus surviving patients with serious infection). Routine monitoring of these parameters may improve current diagnostic tools and possibly lead to earlier detection of patients at risk after liver transplantation.