Comparison of cytokine levels IL2, IL6, TNFα in brain death and living donors and its relationship with early renal graft function in the recipients in Shiraz Namazi Hospital in 2008-9

Brain death leads to increased activity of cytokine, which can lead to renal graft dysfunction in the recipient. This study aims at reviewing the cytokine levels in brain death donors and living ones and their relationship to early renal graft function in recipients. This case-control study was conducted on 104 patients who had received kidney transplant, from brain death and living doners. Serum levels of cytokines IL2 (Interleukine2), IL6 (Interleukine 6), TNFα (Tumor necrotizing factor α) in the donors before transplantation and serum creatinine levels and urine output after operation in the recipients were measured. Of all the patients, 63 cases (60.6%) received kidney from brain death donors (group 1) and the rest from the living donors (group 2). The urine output and creatinine changes in the two groups were similar over time; no significant differences were found. There were high levels of IL2, IL6, and TNFα in brain death donors before transplantation and a statistically significant difference was observed between brain death and living donors. IL6 levels before transplantation was higher in those who donated kidney to the group suffering from acute rejection and there was a significant difference between the groups not undergoing rejection. Based on the results, there are high levels of cytokines in brain death donors before transplantation. Among them, the serum level of IL6 is associated with an increase in acute rejection in kidney transplantation.