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Pericardial Inflammatory Mediators in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery: Towards a Biomarker-Informed Clinical

Michael Blackledge1, Hamza Nasir Chatha1,2, Angel Luis Fernández González3

  • 1School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.

Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine
|May 11, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Investigating inflammatory mediators in pericardial fluid after cardiac surgery can offer insights into postoperative complications like atrial fibrillation and heart failure. Further research is needed to establish their clinical utility in patient management.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Biomarkers
  • Inflammation

Background:

  • Postoperative atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and pericardial effusion are common after cardiac surgery.
  • Pericardial fluid offers a localized view of inflammation near the myocardium.
  • Systemic biomarkers may be complemented by pericardial fluid analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review inflammatory mediators in pericardial fluid post-cardiac surgery.
  • To explore associations between these mediators and patient outcomes.
  • To discuss mechanistic links and practical limitations of pericardial fluid analysis.

Main Methods:

  • Narrative review of existing literature.
  • Identification of inflammatory mediators in pericardial fluid.
  • Analysis of associations with postoperative complications.

Main Results:

  • Various inflammatory mediators have been identified in pericardial fluid.
  • These mediators show associations with adverse postoperative outcomes.
  • Mechanistic links and challenges in sampling/standardization were discussed.

Conclusions:

  • Pericardial fluid biomarkers show potential to enhance existing risk models for cardiac surgery patients.
  • Prospective studies are essential to validate their incremental value.
  • Further research is required to define their role in perioperative management.

Keywords:
inflammatory markerspericardial fluidpericardium

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