Objective: This study aims to explore the association between neurological dysfunction and serum levels of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in patients undergoing isoflurane inhalation anesthesia.
Methods: This prospective observational study enrolled a total of 88 patients who underwent isoflurane anesthesia, between April 2019 and April 2020 in our hospital's operating room. The Mini-Mental State Examination scale (MMSE) was administered on the first preoperative day (T0), the 1st postoperative day (T1), the 3rd postoperative day (T2), and the 7th postoperative day (T3). Based on the MMSE score obtained on the 1st postoperative day, patients were categorized into the neurological dysfunction group (n = 23) and the normal group (n = 65). Serum levels of IL-6 and IL-1β were measured at T0, T1, T2, and T3, and their relationship with MMSE scores was analyzed.
Results: Compared to the normal group, the neurological dysfunction group exhibited significantly higher levels of serum IL-6 and IL-1β at all time points except T0, accompanied by notably lower MMSE scores (P < .001). Combined diagnostic parameters, including area under the curve (AUC) value, sensitivity, and specificity, showed improved performance compared to individual tests. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a negative correlation between serum IL-6 and IL-1β levels and MMSE scores (r = -0.719, -0.408, all P < .05).
Conclusions: Our findings highlight a correlation between neurological dysfunction and serum IL-6 and IL-1β levels in patients undergoing isoflurane inhalation anesthesia. These cytokines could serve as valuable indicators for the early detection of neurological dysfunction following anesthesia.