Cardiopulmonary bypass is well known to induce a strong anti-inflammatory response. Studies had been shown that the contact of blood components with artificial surfaces, the surgical trauma, endotoxemia and a reperfusion injury are in part responsible for the seen immunological affect after surgery. The purpose of this study is to test the effect of continued mechanical ventilation during surgery on a blood marker called soluble ST2 in patients sera. Soluble ST2 acts as a decoy receptor of IL-33 and has anti-inflammatory effects. Elevated soluble ST2 concentrations are reported in patients with acute myocardial infarction, sepsis, congestive heart failure and elevates soluble ST2 levels are associated with adverse outcome.
Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is well known to induce a strong anti-inflammatory response. The investigators examined whether continued mechanical ventilation during CPB alters systemic immune activation.