Brain death-induced cytokine release is not associated with primary graft dysfunction: a cohort study

To examine the association between donor plasma cytokine levels and the development of primary graft dysfunction of organs transplanted from deceased donors.

Seventeen deceased donors and the respective 47 transplant recipients were prospectively included in the study. Recipients were divided into two groups: group 1, patients who developed primary graft dysfunction; and group 2, patients who did not develop primary graft dysfunction. Donor plasma levels of TNF, IL-6, IL-1β, and IFN-γ assessed by ELISA were compared between groups.

Sixty-nine organs were retrieved, and 48 transplants were performed. Donor plasma cytokine levels did not differ between groups (in pg/mL): TNF, group 1: 10.8 (4.3 - 30.8) versus group 2: 8.7 (4.1 - 33.1), p = 0.63; IL-6, group 1: 1617.8 (106.7 - 5361.7) versus group 2: 922.9 (161.7 - 5361.7), p = 0.56; IL-1β, group 1: 0.1 (0.1 - 126.1) versus group 2: 0.1 (0.1 - 243.6), p = 0.60; and IFN-γ, group 1: 0.03 (0.02 - 0.2) versus group 2: 0.03 (0.02 - 0.1), p = 0.93). Similar findings were obtained when kidney transplants were analyzed separately.

In this sample of transplant recipients, deceased donor plasma cytokines TNF, IL-6, IL-1β, and IFN-γ were not associated with the development of primary graft dysfunction.