Background: Chronic inflammation has a significant role in generating abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). It seems that knowledge about these pathomechanisms could have diagnostic and prognostic value.
Material and methods: The study group comprised 49 operated patients with AAA - 39 men and 10 women (79.6% and 20.4% respectively). The study group was divided into subgroups (size and type). There were distinguished three diameter divisions of aneurysm: ≥ 60 mm (48.97%), and 50-60 mm (34.70%) and under 50 mm (16.33%). 39 patients presented symptomatic aneurysm (79.20%), while asymptomatic aneurysm was present in 10 patients (20.40%). The control group was 17 patients with advanced atheromatous changes: 11 men and 6 women (64.70% and 35.30%). Proteins: IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, were examined in the blood sera by the means of an immunoenzymatic ELISH assessment. For CRP level investigation spectrophotometry was used.
Results: A statistically significant increase of the concentration of proteins was assessed - CRP, IL-6 in patients with AAA, comparing with the control group. The concentration of CRP, IL-2, IL-6 differed significantly between groups depending on diameter of the abdominal aortic aneurysm. Patients with symptomatic AAA had a significantly higher concentration of CRP, IL-2, IL-6 than in the group with asymptomatic AAA.
Conclusions: Investigation of the cytokine level (IL-2, IL-6, CRP) can be useful in the monitoring of inflammation changes which can be responsible for aneurysm enlargement. The concentration of inflammation proteins increases with the change of aortic aneurysm diameter. It can be a proof that the enlargement of an aneurysm depends on the intensity of the inflammatory processes. This allows one to take decisions about surgical procedures in appropriate time.