IL-17 is a potential biomarker for predicting the severity and outcomes of pulmonary contusion in trauma patients

Pulmonary contusion (PC) is very common in blunt chest trauma, and always results in negative pulmonary outcomes, such as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), respiratory failure or even death. However, there are no effective biomarkers which can be used to predict the outcomes in these patients. The present study aimed to determine the value of interleukin (IL)-17 and IL-22 in predicting the severity and outcomes of PC in trauma patients. All trauma patients admitted to The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University between January 2015 and December 2017, were studied. Patients aged >14 years old with a diagnosis of PC upon their admission to the emergency department were included. Patients with PC were enrolled as the PC group, patients without PC were enrolled as the non-PC group, and healthy individuals were selected as the control group. Clinical information, including sociodemographic parameters, clinical data, biological findings and therapeutic interventions were recorded for all patients who were enrolled. Blood samples were collected and stored according to the established protocols. PC volume was measured by computed tomography and plasma cytokine levels were assayed by ELISA. A total of 151 patients with PC (PC group) and 159 patients without PC (non-PC group) were included in the present study. In addition, 50 healthy individuals were used as the control group. The primary cause of PC was motor vehicle crashes. PC patients had more rib fractures, but similar injury severity scores compared with other patients. More patients received Pleurocan drainage treatment and had pneumonia complications in the PC group compared with the other two groups. PC patients had a high incidence of ARDS and admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). PC patients also experienced longer periods on mechanical ventilation and had longer stays in the ICU and hospital. PC volume was effective in predicting the outcomes of PC patients. IL-22 levels were similar in the PC group and non-PC group. However, IL-17 could be used as a biomarker to predict the severity of PC, and was strongly associated with PC volume. IL-17 was significantly associated with pro-inflammatory complications in PC patients and could be used as a biomarker for predicting in-patient outcomes of patients with PC. In conclusion, IL-17 is a potential biomarker for predicting the severity and outcomes of PC in trauma patients.