Perioperative medicine & outcomes
The association between cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-6, soluble interleukin-6 receptor, and interleukin-6 trans-signalling binary complex with postoperative delirium: an observational cohort study
Authors' conclusion
Interleukin-6 trans-signalling may be implicated in postoperative delirium
Study context
- Population
- Patients undergoing major surgery (median age 67 yr, IQR 61–73)13 with paired CSF data
- Participants
- 24 patients
- Primary endpoint
- Association of postoperative changes in CSF IL-6, sIL-6R and IL-6·sIL-6R complexes with incidence (3D-CAM or CAM-ICU) and severity (DRS-R-98) of postoperative delirium
- Follow-up
- POD 1-7
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
- Peak postoperative change in log CSF sIL-6R correlated with delirium incidence
- P=0.03
- Peak postoperative change in log CSF sIL-6R correlated with peak delirium severity
- ρ=0.68, P=0.02
- Peak postoperative change in log CSF IL-6·sIL-6R (trans-signalling surrogate) associated with peak delirium severity
- ρ=0.70, P=0.01
Further findings
CSF sIL-6R vs peripheral inflammation and blood-brain barrier permeability
- CSF sIL-6R significantly correlated with plasma IL-6 and IL-8, CSF:plasma albumin ratio and plasma S100B
Original publication
The association between cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-6, soluble interleukin-6 receptor, and interleukin-6 trans-signalling binary complex with postoperative delirium: an observational cohort study. BJA Open. Published 10 April 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →