Exaggerated cytokines productions and development of systemic inflammatory response (SIRS) is the most common cause of postoperative complications and death after major abdominal surgery. The present study was conducted to investigate alterations in systemic production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) after total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in surgical patients. Plasma concentrations of IL-6 and IL-8 were measured in 22 patients (10 treated with TPN and 12 without TPN) before major surgery and on the days 1, 3, 7, 10 and 14-16 after, by ELISA test (indications for surgery: stomach, pancreatic and colon carcinoma, complications of IBD and acute pancreatitis). There were no differences between preoperative levels of IL-6 and IL-8 in the examined groups of patients. The highest (on the days 1, 3, 7, 10: 268.3 (p = 0.002), 41.9 (p = 0.03), 122.6 (p = 0.009), 29.3 (p = 0.03) pg/ml respectively) and longer lasting significantly elevated level of IL-6 was observed in the group of patients after major surgery without TPN. In the group of patients received TPN (with glutamine) there was a significantly increased but in comparison with group of patients without TPN, significantly lower level of IL-6 on days 1 and 7 (103.4 and 34.7 pg/ml respectively, p = 0.01). There was no significant change in postoperative concentration of IL-8 after major surgery in the group of patients treated with TPN. The level of IL-8 was significantly elevated (p = 0.01) in the group of patients without TPN on day 1 and 3 following surgery. The IL-8 level in the TPN group vs. group of patients without TPN was significantly lower on day 1 after surgery. After TPN concentration of cholesterol was significantly higher and CRP level significantly lower. We conclude that TPN improved immunological response to major surgical trauma by reduction of the inflammatory response.