Western blot analysis of bile or intestinal fluid from patients with septic shock or systemic inflammatory response syndrome, using antibodies to TNF-alpha, IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta

Septic shock or systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) often develops in patients following burns, traumatic injury, surgery or biliary obstruction. Although the inflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha and IL-1 have been strongly implicated in the development of these syndromes, treatment of patients by the systemic administration of inhibitors of TNF-alpha or IL-1 has shown limited effectiveness. Recent reports suggest that septic shock may be perpetuated by inflammatory cytokines secreted by the liver in response to bacterial translocation resulting from cytokine-induced gastrointestinal damage. The present study sought to demonstrate the presence of high levels of inflammatory cytokines in the bile or small intestine of patients suffering from septic shock or SIRS, with a view to the development of strategies for the reduction of gastrointestinal damage through intraduodenal administration of cytokine inhibitors. Western blot analysis of human bile or intestinal fluid using anti-TNF-alpha antibodies resulted in the detection of a number of bands in samples from patients with septic shock or SIRS. However, these proteins differed antigenically from human recombinant TNF-alpha (rTNF-alpha) and showed no activity in a biological assay for TNF-alpha. Antibodies to IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta detected several strong bands, some of which appeared to be identical to recombinant IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta. It is concluded that proteins resembling several known inflammatory cytokines are present in the bile and intestine of septic shock patients, but it is suggested that further work is required to determine the nature and function of these molecules.