Serum Levels of TNF- α, IL-10 and Albumin in Female Patients with Post-Surgical Wound Infection in Asaba Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

Post-operative wound infections (POWIs), sometimes referred to as post-surgical wound infections (PSWIs), are a common complication following surgery. Surgeries frequently elicit a variety of immunological responses subsequent to tissue damage and incision which may hinder wound healing and infection resolution leading to poor patient outcome. This cross-sectional study assessed the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-10 and albumin in female patients with post-surgical wound infection in Asaba Delta State, Nigeria. Twenty-five (25) patients with PSWIs and 25 apparently healthy individuals (control group) were recruited by random sampling method. Four millilitres (4 ml) of venous blood samples were collected for the determination of serum TNF-α, IL-10 and albumin levels. TNF-α and IL-10 levels were estimated with a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, whereas serum albumin was assessed with the Bromocresol green (BCG) method.  The data obtained was analyzed using an independent t-test and Pearson correlation, with a p-value of <0.05 indicating statistical significance. The mean serum TNF-α (143.44 ±7.35 Vs 37.32 ±8.92; p = 0.001) and IL-10 (27.52 ±7.77 Vs 17.12 ±6.23; p = 0.001) levels were significantly higher while serum albumin level was significantly lower (34.14 ±5.43 Vs 40.19 ±3.38; p = 0.001) in the female patients with PSWIs than in the control group. However, no significant correlation was observed between the levels of TNF-α Vs albumin and IL-10 Vs albumin (p>0.05). The elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α may lead to adverse patient outcomes by hindering wound healing and slowing infection resolution.