Continued Ventilation During Cardiopulmonary Bypass

Continued Mechanical Ventilation During CABG Operation Attenuates Systemic Immune Modulation

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is well known to induce a strong anti-inflammatory response. The investigators examined whether continued mechanical ventilation during CPB alters systemic immune activation.

Cardiopulmonary bypass is well known to induce a strong anti-inflammatory response. Studies had been shown that the contact of blood components with artificial surfaces, the surgical trauma, endotoxemia and a reperfusion injury are in part responsible for the seen immunological affect after surgery. The purpose of this study is to test the effect of continued mechanical ventilation during surgery on a blood marker called soluble ST2 in patients sera. Soluble ST2 acts as a decoy receptor of IL-33 and has anti-inflammatory effects. Elevated soluble ST2 concentrations are reported in patients with acute myocardial infarction, sepsis, congestive heart failure and elevates soluble ST2 levels are associated with adverse outcome.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Written informed consent
• age > 40 and < 80

Exclusion Criteria:

• treatment with steroids or immunomodulatory interventions during the past four weeks
• signs of an acute infection