ArticleBJA open2026
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.
Article in BJA open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT02926417 (Interventions for Postoperative Delirium), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Interventions for Postoperative Delirium: Biomarker-2 (IPOD-B2) Pilot Study
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Background: Postoperative delirium causes significant morbidity and mortality. Delirium is associated with the presence of plasma and CSF biomarkers, including interleukin-6 (IL-6). When IL-6 binds to the non-membrane-bound soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R), the resultant binary complex, IL-6·sIL-6R, triggers pro-inflammatory processes called trans-signalling. While murine models implicate central IL-6 trans-signalling in perioperative cognitive dysfunction, there are few clinical reports addressing its role in delirium. The primary aim was to investigate whether postoperative changes in CSF IL-6, sIL-6R and IL-6·sIL-6R complexes were associated with the incidence and severity of postoperative delirium. We also explored whether CSF sIL-6R was related to peripheral inflammation and blood-brain barrier permeability. Methods: We performed an exploratory analysis of data from an ongoing observational cohort study on perioperative delirium in patients undergoing major surgery, with delirium incidence (3-Minute Diagnostic Confusion Assessment Method or Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit) and severity (Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98), plasma, and CSF samples collected on postoperative days 1-7. Biomarkers were analysed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: In the 24 patients included undergoing major surgery (median age 67 yr, interquartile range 61-73), 13 participants had paired pre- and postoperative CSF IL-6 and sIL-6R data. The peak postoperative change in log CSF sIL-6R was significantly correlated with delirium incidence ( Conclusions: Interleukin-6 trans-signalling may be implicated in postoperative delirium, which raises the future possibility of targeted immunomodulatory therapy in susceptible individuals to prevent and/or reverse postoperative co gnitive decline. Clinical trial registration: NCT02926417.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.