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In this study we investigated the interleukin-8 concentration (IL-8) and granulocyte elastase activity (GE) after elective abdominal surgery. Postoperative interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8 concentrations and GE in the peritoneal fluid were examined in 27 patients who underwent various types of elective abdominal surgery. We compared these results with clinical parameters of surgical stress, operating time (OT) and blood loss during the operation (BL). P-IL-6 and P-IL-8 were significantly correlated with OT (P-IL-6; r = 0.67, P < 0.001: P-IL-8; r = 0.59, P < 0.001) and BL (P-IL-6; r = 0.61, P < 0.001: P-IL-8: r = 0.48, P < 0.01). P-IL-8 was significantly correlated with P-IL-6 (r = 0.68, P < 0.001) and there was a positive correlation between GE and P-IL-8 (r = 0.37, P < 0.05). These findings indicate that IL-8 might activate granulocytes in the peritoneal cavity after elective abdominal surgery and that assaying P-IL-6 and P-IL-8 is useful in assessing the host's response to surgical stress.

Postoperative peritoneal interleukin-6 (P-IL-6), serum beta-2 microglobulin (SBMG) and urinary beta-2 microglobulin (UBMG) concentrations were examined in 33 patients who underwent various types of abdominal surgery. Similar time-dependent changes in SBMG and UBMG were observed in five other patients who underwent abdominal surgery. SBMG decreased the first day after the operation (1POD), then increased and reached the preoperative level by the third day after the operation (3POD). UBMG started to increase 1POD, reached the maximum 3POD, then decreased. The 1POD SBMG concentration was significantly correlated with P-IL-6, and 3POD UBMG was also significantly correlated with P-IL-6. These findings indicate that serum and urinary beta-2 microglobulin concentrations are closely correlated with P-IL-6.

In order to study the mortality rate and bacteremia, plasma endotoxin, and plasma endothelin-1 levels in antibiotic therapy for E. coli peritonitis, blood samples were obtained from rats given intraperitoneal injections of latamoxef or placebo. Intraperitoneal injections of latamoxef improved the prognosis of peritonitis rats. Two h after treatment, bacteremia levels were noticeably higher in rats treated with placebo than in rats treated with latamoxef, but the latamoxef-treated group manifested a significant elevation of plasma endotoxin and endothelin-1 levels compared to the placebo-treated group. The results of this study demonstrate that treating E. coli septic peritonitis with selected antibiotics induces increased plasma endotoxin levels, which are associated with elevation of plasma endothelin-1 levels.