Advanced glycation end products as a biomarker for incisional hernia.
BACKGROUND
Incisional hernia is one of the most frequent complications after abdominal surgery, with incidences up to 30%. A reliable biomarker for the prediction of this complication is lacking. Advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs), also known as non-enzymatic collagen crosslinks, are correlated with aging, smoking, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress. In this study the accumulation of AGEs and the relation between AGEs and incisional hernia were investigated.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
In an exploratory case-control study, 23 patients with incisional hernia after midline incision were compared with 17 patients without clinical or radiological signs of incisional hernia after midline incision, AGEs were measured using a Skin Auto Fluorescence (SAF)-reader.


RESULTS
Twenty-three patients with a clinically significant incisional hernia and 17 control patients were included. The study groups had significant differences in mean BMI. There was a significant difference between mean AGEs in patients with and without incisional hernia after midline incision (3.00 ± 0.15 vs. 2.56 ± 0.11, T test p = 0.03).


CONCLUSION
AGE accumulation measured in the skin indirectly with autofluorescence might be associated with incisional hernia. Prospective larger trials should confirm this finding.
['Harlaar|J J|JJ|', 'Eker|H H|HH|', 'Vakalopoulos|K A|KA|', 'Cabezas|M C|MC|', 'van der Ham|A C|AC|', 'Vrijland|W W|WW|', 'Jeekel|J|J|', 'Lange|J F|JF|']
D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D015415:Biomarkers D016022:Case-Control Studies D005260:Female D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced D006801:Humans D000069290:Incisional Hernia D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D012867:Skin
Biomarker Incisional hernia Advanced glycation endproducts Collagen cross links