Cytokine balance and its modulation in patients undergoing cardiopulmonarybypass surgery

Overview

An adequate balance of homeostasis, represented by various pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, is important for the maintenance of health.Deviation of the normal balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines will lead to severe restrictions of immune response. Cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB) is regarded as a reproducible model of inflammatory response and constitutes a major challenge to the patient’s ability to maintain this balance.Recent research has focused on the pro- and inflammatory cytokine balance, immune-modulating therapies and techniques to characterize the patient’sindividual immune status. The importance of cytokine balance and the various states of inflammatory response are briefly described and discussed.

Key words:
cardiopulmonary bypass – cytokines – modulation of immune status