Soluble Fas may be a proinflammatory marker after cardiopulmonary bypass in children
Methods: The study was of a nonrandomized, nonblinded, prospective nature.
Results: As expected, dexamethasone pretreatment attenuated interleukin 6 release and the clinical systemic inflammatory response after bypass. Soluble Fas showed a remarkably similar profile to interleukin 6, in terms of temporal release and attenuation with steroids. There was also a correlation between maximum soluble Fas and markers of capillary leak (colloid requirement and drain loss). Conversely, soluble Fas ligand release was unchanged by cardiopulmonary bypass and steroid administration. However, patients with higher soluble Fas ligand levels exhibited a more dramatic drop and delayed recovery in monocyte count, consistent with the role of this molecule in apoptosis.
Conclusions: Release of soluble Fas and soluble Fas ligand follows a markedly different temporal profile after cardiopulmonary bypass. The similarity between soluble Fas and interleukin 6, together with the attenuation of both with steroids, may suggest a role for soluble Fas as a proinflammatory marker.