Are leukocytosis and lipid peroxidation involved in ischemic or reperfusion injury in cardiac surgery?

We have studied the hypothesis that free-radical generation during cardiac surgery could explain partly the pathophysiology of ischemic or reperfusion injury during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Ten patients undergoing cardiac surgery using CPB were prospectively studied. Malondialdehyde (MDA) was measured as a marker of free-radical-induced lipid peroxidation (LPO) using the thiobarbituric acid method, and leukocytes were counted during ischemia and reperfusion. Both MDA and leukocytes increased significantly, especially after starting reperfusion. There was significant correlation between LPO and leukocytosis (r = 0.8, p less than 0.005). It is concluded that free radicals generated during ischemia and reperfusion lead to an increase of LPO, which is shown for the first time to be associated with leukocytosis in cardiac surgical patients. The implication of this observation is of importance for the treatment strategy using free-radical scavengers in reducing the harmful effects of ischemia and reperfusion in cardiac surgery.