Background. Cardiac surgical operation is followed by the development of inflammatory reaction. This reaction is regulated in many ways including the production of antiinflammatory cytokines such as IL-10 to avoid potentially harmful effects of inflammation. Methods and Results. We compared serum levels of cytokines IL-10, IL-6, and IL-13 in the group of patients undergoing cardiac surgical operation using either cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB, n=17) or surged on the beating heart (n=17). We found significant elevation in the serum level of IL-10 during surgery with the peak immediately after finishing surgery in CPB patients and at the first postoperative day in non-CPB patients, respectively. There is statistically significantly higher level of IL-10 in CPB patients in comparison with non-CPB patients at the end of surgery. Serum level of IL-6 is elevated in both groups during surgery reaching maximum immediately after surgery in CPB patients and at the first postoperative day in patients without CPB, respectively. The serum levels of IL-13 are only nonsignificantly changed during operation and in postoperative period in both groups. Conclusions. The intensity of inflammatory response in CPB patients which is enhanced by massive contact activation of blood and extensive ischemia-reperfusion injury is regulated by the production of antiiflammatory IL-10 cytokine.

        Key words: cardiac surgery, inflammation, interleukin-10, interleukin-6, interleukin-13.