Pre- and post-surgical evaluation of the inflammatory response in patients with aortic stenosis treated with different types of prosthesis

BACKGROUND The inflammatory process in aortic valvular stenosis persists after surgery to replace the valve in almost half of the patients. No association has been found to its persistence. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the inflammatory response in patients with aortic stenosis through the determination of several biomarkers in plasma measured before and after the valvular replacement and to seek an association with the type of prosthesis used. METHODS This is an observational study with a follow up of 6 months in subjects with severe aortic stenosis. Seric concentrations of TNFa, IL-1, IL-6 and ICAM and echocardiographic variables were quantified previous to the surgery and a week and 6 months after it. A group of control subjects paired by age and gender was included. RESULTS Seventy-nine subjects were studied of which 57% were male; the average age was of 59 (± 11.4) years. Previous to surgery, the concentration of cytokines was higher in patients than in control subjects. A biological prosthesis was implanted in 48 patients and a mechanical prosthesis in 31. Both, types of prosthesis have components made of titanium. The echocardiograms 1 week and 6 months after the surgery showed a decrease in the mean aortic gradient and an increase in the valvular area (p = 0.001). Half of the patients still showed high proinflammatory cytokine levels. There were no differences according to the type of prosthesis implanted after adjustments for demographic variables, comorbidities and echocardiographic data. CONCLUSIONS The inflammatory response caused by both types of valvular prothesis at 6 months after implantation were similar. Both types of prosthesis are recommended, they had similarities in hemodynamic profiles registered with Doppler echocardiography. Age of the patient or the suitability use of anticoagulants determines the type of prosthesis to be used.