Serum Levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, Interleukin-10 and Albumin Circulating among Male Patients with Post-surgical Wound Infection in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

Wound infections following surgery are common and significantly raise patient morbidity and treatment costs.  Even in hospitals with the most up-to-date equipment and standard preoperative preparation and antibiotic prophylactic measures, surgical site infections (SSIs) remain the most frequent post-operative complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum levels of circulating tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and albumin in male patients with post-surgical wound infections (PSWIs) in Asaba, Nigeria. Blood samples were taken from fifty (50) male participants who were enrolled voluntarily in the study (25 patients with PSWIs and 25 apparently healthy individuals (control group)). TNF-α and IL-10 levels were determined using sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay while serum albumin was determined using Bromocresol green (BCG) method. The independent t-test and Pearson correlation were used to examine the data, and a p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results showed that individuals with PSWIs had significantly higher mean serum levels of TNF-α (164.08±4.092 Vs 46.24±8.418; p=0.001) and IL-10 (32.36±9.367 Vs 16.80±5.874; p=0.001) but significantly lower mean serum albumin level (32.88±5.311 Vs 36.41±5.654; p=0.027) compared to the control group. These results highlight the possible roles that serum albumin and TNF-α/IL-10 dysregulation may play in the development and severity of surgical wound infections in male patients. The observed excessive inflammatory response may hinder infection resolution, which leads to poor treatment outcomes despite timely antibiotic treatment.