Cytokine changes in newborns with therapeutic hypothermia after hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine changes in cytokines according to therapeutic hypothermia (TH) for newborn hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).

STUDY DESIGN: We studied 20 neonates who were admitted with a diagnosis of HIE in the neonatal intensive care unit. Cytokine concentration assay was carried out for neonates (n=12) who received TH and neonates (n=8) who were not treated with hypothermia by collecting blood sample at 12, 48 and 120 h after birth.

RESULTS: At 48 h after birth, interleukin (IL)-6 in the normothermia group was higher than that in the hypothermia group (P=0.010). At 48 h after birth, IL-10 was higher in the hypothermia group than in the normothermia group (P=0.038).

CONCLUSION: This study confirmed that TH performs a role in the prevention of inflammatory process by way of maintaining proinflammatory cytokine IL-6 at low levels and anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 at high levels.