Comparison of Thiol-Disulfide Hemostasis With Inflammatory Markers in the Inflammatory Process of Acute Appendicitis

Background Acute appendicitis is one of the events most frequently encountered by general surgeons. Despite the high incidence, serious problems are experienced in the diagnosis and clinical follow-up. In the pathogenesis of the disease, oxidative stress and impaired antioxidant defense mechanisms created in the body by this stress play an important role. As dynamic thiol-disulfide hemostasis is closely related to oxidative stress and is known to have a crucial role in the pathogenesis of oxidative stress, this study aimed to compare its value with other inflammatory markers in the diagnosis and follow-up of acute appendicitis. Methodology This study included cases admitted for surgery with a diagnosis of acute abdomen at Keçiören Research and Training Hospital General Surgery Clinic between April 2015 and July 2015 who were intraoperatively diagnosed with acute appendicitis and underwent routine appendectomy. In the preoperative period and after clinical healing before discharge, blood samples were obtained to examine white blood cell (WBC), mean platelet volume (MPV), total bilirubin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and thiol-disulfide balance, and the results were recorded. Results A total of 68 cases were operated on for acute appendicitis, and 59 were evaluated comprising 23 (39%) females and 36 (61%) males with a mean age of 35.6 years (range = 19-65 years). The mean duration of hospital stay was two days (range = 1-8 days). The results of the tests performed preoperatively and before discharge and their p-values were as follows: native thiol (-SH) 393.5 ± 9.4 µmol/L and 369.3 ± 9.5 µmol/L (p = 0.04), total thiol 434 ± 9.7 µmol/L and 396.7 ± 10.2 µmol/L (p = 0.03), disulfide (-S-S) 16.8 ± 0.7 µmol/L and 15.7 ± 0.9 µmol/L (p = 0.3), WBC 13.2 ± 0.5 × 10³/mL and 9.2 ± 0.4 × 10³/mL (p = 0.0), CRP 8.17 ± 1.24 mg/L and 7.84 ± 0.82 mg/L (p = 0.17), MPV 7.4 ± 0.37 fL and 7.97 ± 0.19 fL (p = 1.0), and total bilirubin 0.86 ± 0.08 mg/dL and 0.69 ± 0.06 mg/dL (p = 0.08). Conclusions In the clinical follow-up of acute appendicitis patients, the decrease in WBC, total thiol, and native thiol values can be helpful to clinicians as markers of clinical healing. However, CRP may not be a useful marker of clinical healing in acute appendicitis patients who are discharged early.