Serum phospholipases A2 after aortobifemoral reconstruction.

Phospholipase A2 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of local and distant tissue injury after ischaemia and reperfusion. A common operation inducing ischaemia and reperfusion is aortobifemoral reconstruction, during which the aorta is clamped and the blood supply via the inferior mesenteric artery and iliac arteries is interrupted. The purpose of the present work was to study the catalytic activity concentration of phospholipase A2 and the mass concentrations of group I and group II phospholipases A2 in the sera of patients undergoing aortobifemoral reconstruction. Both the catalytic activity concentration of phospholipase A2 and the mass concentrations of group I and group II phospholipases A2 increased in serum samples after the operation. The catalytic activity concentration of phospholipase A2 correlated well with group II phospholipase A2 mass values (r = 0.81, p < 0.001), whereas no correlation was found between the catalytic activity concentration of phospholipase A2 and group I phospholipase A2 mass values (r = 0.12, p = 0.54). The results emphasize the role of group II phospholipase A2 in tissue injury after ischaemia and reperfusion.