Surgery
-
Interleukin (IL)-10 is a potent antiinflammatory cytokine inhibiting the release of tumor necrosis factor--alpha (TNF-alpha) and IL-8 by activated macrophages and polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) represents a unique situation where an inflammatory reaction is predictably induced. The present study examined the influence of CPB on the release of TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-8, and IL-10 and also defined the effects of pretreatment with corticosteroids on the release of these cytokines. ⋯ The present data indicate that IL-10 is released together with proinflammatory cytokines during and after CPB and that pretreatment with corticosteroids markedly enhances this release. The release of IL-10 may play an important role in the antiinflammatory effects of corticosteroids.