The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Feb 2008
Chemokines are associated with delirium after cardiac surgery.
Delirium has been hypothesized to be a central nervous system response to systemic inflammation during a state of blood-brain barrier compromise. The purpose of this study was to compare postoperative changes in groups of inflammatory markers in persons who developed delirium following cardiac surgery and matched controls without delirium. ⋯ After cardiac surgery, chemokine levels were elevated in patients who developed delirium in the early postoperative period. Because chemokines are capable of disrupting blood-brain barrier integrity in vitro, future studies are needed to define the relationship of these inflammatory mediators to delirium pathogenesis.