Interleukin-8 activates coagulation and correlates with survival after talc pleurodesis

The aim of our study was to investigate whether interleukin (IL)-8 activates systemic coagulation after talc pleurodesis in malignant pleural effusion (MPE), and whether levels of IL-8 in plasma are related to early death after talc pleurodesis. IL-8 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha were measured in samples from 231 MPE patients before and after talc pleurodesis. Whole blood from 31 healthy volunteers was incubated with IL-8, TNF-alpha and thromboplastin for 3 h in vitro, and thrombin-antithrombin (TAT) levels were measured. The same stimulation of blood samples was repeated using doses of calibrated talc. Nine, 12 and 17 patients died within 7, 10 and 15 days respectively. IL-8 was elevated in 102 patients within 48 h, and thrombotic events were observed in six of those patients. Survival correlated inversely with IL-8 at 24 and 48 h, and a significant correlation was also found between IL-8 and TAT. A positive dose-dependent correlation with TAT production was observed when blood was stimulated with IL-8 in vitro. However, there was no significant response to stimulation with talc, as compared with control blood samples. IL-8 is involved in the activation of coagulation that may occur after talc pleurodesis, and might also be implicated in early death of patients with MPE.