Impact of pulmonary infection after radical esophagectomy on serum inflammatory markers, pulmonary function indices, and prognosis.

Objectives: To analyze the influence of pulmonary infection after radical esophagectomy on serum inflammatory markers, pulmonary function, and prognosis.
Methods: We enrolled 278 esophageal cancer patients who underwent radical esophagectomy. Patients were split into the infected (n=51) and uninfected groups (n=227). The inflammatory parameters, complications, and prognosis were compared.
Results: In the infected group, interleukin (IL)-6 was 16.19±2.63 ng/L, tumor necrosis factor-α was 19.64±3.07 µg/L, and IL-1β was 22.49±5.13 ng/L at 7 days postoperatively; white blood cell counts was 12.65±2.14 ×10 ⁹ /L, percentage of neutrophils (NEU%) was 67.04±10.48%, and platelet (PLT) counts was 249.82±63.26 ×10 ⁹ /L; the increasing ranges of the above factors after the operation were much raised compared with the uninfected group ( p <0.05). Compared with the uninfected group, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV1/FVC were greater declines in ranges ( p <0.05), and the arrhythmia incidence and the mortality within 60 days postoperatively were greater in the infected group ( p <0.05).
Conclusion: Postoperative pulmonary infection can lead to pulmonary function damage, proinflammatory factor overexpression, and an increased risk of early death.
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