Significance of levels of IL-6 and IL-8 after trauma: A study of 11 cytokines post-mortem using multiplex immunoassay

Purpose: To identify cytokines useful for diagnosis of traumatic death. Methods: Post-mortem serum Levels of 11 cytokines were assayed for 43 people who died of traumatic injury or from non-traumatic causes. Levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, gamma interferon, interleukin IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13, and tumour necrosis factor-alpha were measured using multiplex immunoassay. Results: Levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (p < 0.01), IL-6 (p < 0.001), and IL-8 (p < 0.01) among the traumatic group were significantly higher than those among the non-traumatic group. Anatomical trauma severity was also estimated using the total abbreviated injury scale and injury severity score, revealing significant positive correlations between the former and IL-6 (r(s) = 0.6523, p < 0.01) and IL-8 levels (r(s) = 0.6584, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Levels of IL-6 and IL-8 assist differentiation between traumatic and non-traumatic death, are useful objective indices of trauma severity and can support a diagnosis of traumatic death. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.