Systemic biomarkers currently implicated in the formation of abdominal wall hernia: A systematic review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Surgery to the abdominal wall is ubiquitous worldwide and hernia treatment is challenging and expensive, posing a critical need to tailor treatment to individual patient risk-factors. In this systematic review, we consider specific systemic factors with potential as biomarkers of hernia formation. METHODS: A healthcare database-assisted search, following PRISMA guidelines, identified journal articles for inclusion and analysis. RESULTS: 14 biomarker studies were selected, comparing hernia patients and hernia-free controls, focusing on markers of extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling and collagen turnover. Matrix metalloproteinase-2 was increased in patients with inguinal hernia. Markers of type IV collagen synthesis were increased in patients with abdominal wall hernia; while markers of fibrillar collagen synthesis were reduced. Additional other ECM signalling proteins differ significantly within published studies. CONCLUSION: We identify a lack of high-quality evidence of systemic biomarkers in tailoring treatment strategies relative to patient-specific risks, but recognise the potential held within biomarker-based diagnostic studies to improve management of hernia pathogeneses.

The role of the lactate level in determining the risk rates of small bowel resection in incarcerated hernias.

BACKGROUND: An incarcerated hernia is a part of the intestine or abdominal tissue that becomes trapped in the sac of a hernia. An increase in morbidity and mortality occurs after intestinal resections from strangulated hernias. This study aims to examine the markers that may be effective in determining the risk of small bowel resection due to incarcerated hernias. In particular, we aimed to investigate the effect s of blood lactate levels in determining this risk. METHODS: A cross-sectional retrospective study was designed. Patients, whose preoperative diagnosis were reported as incarcerated hernia and had essential information, were included in this study. They were divided into two groups according to whether they had resection or not. Age, gender, hernia type, hernia side, resection material, blood lactate level (BLL), white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil count (NE), lymphocyte count (LY), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet count (PLT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), radiologic bowel obstruction sign and comorbidities were evaluated. RESULTS: Sixty-seven patients were included in this study. It was observed that 16 (23.9%) of these patients underwent small intestinal resection, 16 (23.9%) had an omentum resection, while no resection was performed on 35 (52.2%) patients. There was a statistically significant difference regarding radiologically intestinal obstruction (p=0.001), hernia type (p=0.005), BLL (p<0.001), WBC, NLR and LDH values (p<0.05). In incarcerated hernia patients with a lactate value ≥1.46 mg/dL, sensitivity was observed to be 84.0% and specificity 86.0% (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: In patients with a preliminary diagnosis of an incarcerated hernia, the risk of possible small bowel resection is the most important point in deciding for an operation. The presence of an intestinal obstruction in radiological examinations, and particularly the high levels of WBC, NLR, LDH and BLL, may indicate a necessity for possible small bowel resection. Concerning the risk associated with small bowel resection, blood lactate levels ≥1.46 mg/dL may be alerting.

Hernia de Spiegel. A propósito de un caso / Spiegelian hernia. A propos of a case

RESUMEN La hernia de Spiegel es un defecto raro de la pared abdominal. Su diagnóstico se hace muy difícil por lo infrecuente y por la dificultad para diferenciarla de la hernia inguinal supravesical. Precisamente, por lo poco común, los médicos muchas veces no valoran seriamente la presencia de esta variedad de hernia. Constituye una patología en la que el diagnóstico al igual que el resto de las hernias de la pared abdominal, es esencialmente clínico. El objetivo de este trabajo es informar un caso con un tipo de hernia poco común. Paciente de 50 años de edad, de color de piel blanca, obesa, multípara de procedencia urbana, con antecedentes personales patológico de relativa buena salud. Acudió a consulta por presentar dolor en la región inferior derecha, en la unión del flanco derecho con el mesogastrio, desde hacía varios meses. Fue diagnosticada con una hernia de Spiegel. Se le realizaron los estudios correspondientes fue intervenida quirúrgicamente realizándose hernioplastia.

ABSTRACT Spiegelian hernia is a rare defect of the abdominal wall. Its diagnosis is very difficult because of its infrequency and the difficult of differentiating it from the supravesical inguinal hernia. Precisely due to its infrequence the doctors usually do not seriously evaluate the presence of this kind of hernia. It is a pathology in which, like in the rest of the abdominal wall hernias, the diagnosis is essentially clinical. The aim of this work is to report a case of a patient with an uncommon kind of hernia: a female, obese, multiparous, white patient, aged 50 years, from urban precedence, with personal pathological antecedents of relatively good health, assisted the consultation presenting pain in the right inferior region, in the place where the right flank meets the mesogastrium for several months. She was diagnosed a Spiegel's hernia. The correspondent studies were carried out and she underwent a hernioplasty.

Predictors of ischemic bowel in patients with incarcerated hernias.

PURPOSE: Diagnosing intestinal strangulation in the setting of incarcerated hernias remains challenging. Hyponatremia has been identified as a predictor of necrotizing soft tissue infections and gangrenous cholecystitis. We hypothesized that hyponatremia could predict bowel ischemia in patients with incarcerated hernias. METHODS: Medical records for 163 patients with incarcerated hernias over a 5-year period were reviewed. Preoperative clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings and final intraoperative diagnosis were collected. RESULTS: Thirty-six patients (22.1%) had ischemic bowel requiring resection. Univariate analysis identified multiple significant variables including lower serum sodium (p = 0.002), lower bicarbonate (p = 0.04), elevated glucose (p = 0.0002), elevated white blood cell count (p = 0.001), and skin changes (p = 0.001). In a multivariable model, skin changes were associated with an odds ratio for ischemia of 3.3 (1.3-8.6 p = 0.02). Sodium of less than 135 had an odds ratio for ischemia of 3.9 (1.7-9.1, p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: Hyponatremia should raise suspicion for underlying strangulated bowel and prompt urgent exploration in patients with incarcerated hernias.

Predictive value of preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio while detecting bowel resection in hernia with intestinal incarceration.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between preoperative hematological inflammatory markers of the patients who underwent a surgery for incarcerated hernia and intestinal resection requirement. METHODS: The data of 102 patients who underwent a surgery for incarcerated hernia were retrospectively evaluated. Whole blood cell counts were preoperatively measured, and operation types and pathology results were recorded. The patients with intestinal resections were compared with those without any resection in terms of leukocyte number, neutrophil rate, red cell distribution width (RDW), platelet distribution width, neutrophil-to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and mean platelet volume (MPV). RESULTS: Eighty-one patients were operated for incarcerated groin hernia, 17 for incarcerated umbilical hernia, and 4 for incarcerated incisional hernia. Twenty-six patients (25%) had intestinal resections; in 4 of them, intestinal perforation was detected. In patients with intestinal resections,the neutrophil rate, PDW, NLR, and PLR values were significantly higher than those in the patients without any resections. CONCLUSION: High NLR rates, certainly with clinical correlation, can be used as a biomarker to predict intestinal necrosis and the need for intestinal resection in patients who will undergo surgery for incarcerated hernia, particularlyin situations with lacking radiological imaging methods.

Systemic inflammatory response after hernia repair: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: All surgical procedures elicit a complex systemic inflammatory response effectuated and modulated by cytokines. The purpose of this systematic review was to present an overview of the inflammatory response and the serum markers associated with hernia repair and to compare the response between patients treated with and without mesh. METHODS: The review was conducted in line with PRISMA guidelines. The outcomes of interest were serum concentration of leukocytes, cytokines, and acute phase proteins before and after hernia repair with or without mesh reinforcement. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane ROBINS-I tool for non-randomized studies of intervention. RESULTS: A total of 31 studies were included in the systematic review including 1326 patients with a mean age ranging from 33 to 67 years. The studies predominantly included males (95.0% males, 5.0% female) with inguinal hernias (98.5% inguinal hernias, 1.5% incisional hernias). The inflammatory response after hernia repair was characterized by an increase in CRP, IL-6, leukocytes, neutrophils, IL-1, IL-10, fibrinogen, and α1-antitrypsin and a decrease in lymphocytes and albumin within the first 24 postoperative hours. The systemic inflammatory response was normalized before or on the seventh postoperative day. A higher CRP and IL-6 serum concentration was found in patients treated with mesh compared with sutured repairs. CONCLUSIONS: Hernia repair elicits a systemic inflammatory response characterized by an increase in CRP, IL-6, leukocytes, neutrophils, IL-1, IL-10, fibrinogen, and α1-antitrypsin and a decrease in lymphocytes and albumin. A higher inflammatory response was found after mesh repair compared with non-mesh repair and after open mesh repair compared with laparoscopic mesh repair.

Are fibrinogen and complete blood count parameters predictive in incarcerated abdominal hernia repair?

Therapeutic delays in cases of external incarcerated hernias typically result in increasing morbidity, mortality, and health expenditures. We investigated the diagnostic role of blood fibrinogen level, white blood count (WBC), mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet distribution width (PDW) in patients with incarcerated hernia. Two groups, each containing 100 patients, were studied. Group A underwent elective, and group B underwent incarcerated and urgent external hernia repair. We observed high fibrinogen and WBC levels but low MPV and PDW values for patients in group B. Contrary to our expectations, we found lower MPV and PDW values in the complicated group than in the elective group. The morbidity rate and cost burden were higher in group B, and the results were statistically significant. Early operation should be recommended for patients with incarcerated external hernias if their fibrinogen and WBC levels are high.

Ischemia modified albumin can predict necrosis at incarcerated hernias.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the predictive effect of IMA in incarcerated hernias. METHODS: Three groups (n = 7) of rats were operated. Group I aimed to mimic incarceration, group II aimed the strangulation, and group III was the sham group. IMA and LDH measurements were made. RESULTS: IMA levels were significantly higher in strangulation mimicking group and IMA levels were normal at postoperative 6th hour in incarceration mimicking group. LDH levels were significantly higher in both incarceration and strangulation mimicking groups. CONCLUSION: IMA seems to be an effective marker in incarcerated hernias to predict necrosis. But we need further studies to generalise this hypothesis.

Degradation of collagen by metalloproteinase 2 in patients with abdominal hernias.

BACKGROUND: The groin hernia is a significant social and economic problem of our times. The pathogenesis of the disease is not clear. The metalloproteinases (MMP) are the group of proteolytic enzymes responsible for the degradation of extracellular matrix proteins and the basic membrane of blood vessels. THE AIMS OF OUR STUDY WERE: (1) to estimate the MMP-2 levels in the blood and tissues of patients with a groin hernia; (2) to answer the question of whether changes in MMP-2 activity correlate with the occurrence of inguinal hernias. METHOD: The study was performed on a group of 90 male patients suffering from inguinal hernias, aged 28-70 years (mean: 49 years). The control group was made up of 10 healthy (free from hernia) males, aged 30-68 years (mean: 46 years). RESULTS: We noticed increased levels of MMP-2 in patients with all types of hernia and across all age groups. The MMP-2 mean serum levels were statistically higher in patients with a groin hernia when compared to the control group. The highest blood levels of MMP-2 were observed in young men with a direct hernia. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed the important role of MMP-2 in the pathogenesis of inguinal hernia. The increased activity may lead to dysfunctions in collagen fiber, which is responsible for forming fascial structures, and as a result weaken their durability.