Relation between Severity of Injury and the Early Activation of Interleukins in Multiple-Injured Patients

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between severity of injury and the early activation of interleukins in multiple-injured patients. Ninety-nine patients with multiple injuries were included in this prospective study. Plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-1, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α were measured. Injury Severity Score (ISS), Revised Trauma Score (RTS), Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE-II) were all recorded. Of the 99 patients, 82 were male and 17 were female. The mean age was 26.6 ± 20.7 years. The mortality rate for this series was 17%. Patients who died from trauma exhibited a significant increase for IL-2, IL-6 and IL-8 in comparison with patients who survived. Significant differences for ISS, RTS and GCS were found between survivors and non-survivors. Values in all patients with ISS >16 were increased and these increases were significant for IL-6 and IL-2. These data show that the initial increase of IL-2, IL-6 and IL-8 might predict the patients with a high possibility of mortality and a significant increase of IL-2 and IL-6 in patients with ISS >16 might be used in a new developed trauma score combined with ISS as an indicator for the injury severity.