Interleukin‐6 and lipopolysaccharide‐binding protein in acute appendicitis in children

The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and lipopolysaccharide‐binding protein (LBP) in children with acute appendicitis (AA) and to compare this with the diagnostic accuracy of routinely used C‐reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell (WBC) count. Eighty‐two consecutive children admitted to our Department because of suspected AA were enrolled in this prospective study and classified into two groups: group 1 (49 children who underwent surgery for AA) and group 2 (33 children with no surgery with diagnosis of non‐specific abdominal pain or sonographic mesenteric lymphadenitis). There were no negative appendectomies during the time of the study. The patients were further classified into three subgroups: subgroup 1A (43 patients with advanced AA), subgroup 2A (11 patients with mesenteric lymphadenitis) and subgroup 2B (10 patients with non‐specific abdominal pain). The perforation rate was 32.7 %. WBC count and serum CRP, IL‐6 and LBP were measured on admission...