The hepatic response to portal endotoxaemia in obstructive jaundice down-regulates neutrophil respiratory burst activity

Both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines are elevated in this model of obstructive jaundice. The global effect of the increased inflammatory response is a down-regulation of neutrophil respiratory burst activity. This may result in subsequent immunological dysfunction and anergy, as a result of a prominent anti-inflammatory response, increasing the susceptibility to septic complications. The use of the neutrophil chemiluminescence assay may be a more reliable assessment of the effects of the inflammatory balance in obstructive jaundice rather than measurement of individual cytokines.