Suppression of interleukin-6 to interleukin-10 ratio in chronic alcoholics: association with postoperative infections

To investigate the interleukin-6 (IL-6) to interleukin-10 (IL-10) ratio and levels of sE-selectin in patients undergoing elective surgery of the upper digestive tract and to define the differences in the perioperative immune response between chronic alcoholic and non-alcoholic patients. Prospective pilot study. Single center, interdisciplinary intensive care unit (ICU) at a university hospital. The study compared chronic alcoholics ( n=25) and non-alcoholics ( n=20) before and after surgery for resection of upper digestive tract tumors. White blood cell counts, C-reactive protein and circulating levels of sE-selectin, the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 and the inhibitory cytokine IL-10, were obtained at hospital admission, preoperatively, postoperatively at ICU admission and 2 and 4 days later. Rates of postoperative infectious complications including pneumonia and sepsis were determined. sE-selectin only differed between chronic alcoholics and non-alcoholics preoperatively. Compared to non-alcoholics, chronic alcoholic patients showed a fourfold increase in circulating levels of IL-10 ( p