Remote ischemic preconditioning effects on inflammatory markers and myocardial protection in coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Background: Induction of short episodes of ischemia to remote organs, namely upper or lower limbs, literally known as remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) has been suggested as a preconditioning approach to ameliorate ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI). RIPC has been demonstrated to effectively protect various vital organs, including heart, against the next ischemic events in preclinical studies. However, human studies are required to approve its clinical applicability. Present study was performed to evaluate the effect of RIPC on the myocardial protection and inflammatory response markers in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 43 coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients from Imam Hossein educational hospital were allocated in two groups, RIPC (21 patients) and control (22 patients). Serum level of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-8, and IL-10, interferon (IFN)-gamma and Cardiac Troponin-I (cTnI) were measured in (1) after induction of anesthesia (before incision of skin), (2) after separation from CPB and (3) 24 hours after ICU arrival. Results: increase pack cell transfusions were observed in control group in ICU. Serum level of IL-10 at 24 hours after ICU admission was significantly higher in the RIPC group. Significantly lower amounts of IL-8 at post-CPB time were observed in the RIPC group in comparison with control. Conclusion: RIPC regulates the circulatory inflammatory cytokines, IL-8 decrement and IL-10 elevation, which could be translated into protection against IRI. However, further studies with larger sample sizes with careful consideration of parameters such as use of propofol as an anesthetic in the patients should be conducted to consolidate the findings from the current study.