Systematic review of the role of biomarkers in diagnosing anastomotic leakage following colorectal surgery

Background: Anastomotic leakage (AL) following colorectal surgery can be difficult to diagnose owing to varying clinical presentations. This systematic review aimed to assess biomarkers as potential diagnostic tests for preclinical detection of AL.

Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. All published studies evaluating biomarkers, both systemic and peritoneal, in the context of AL following colorectal surgery were included. Studies were sought in three electronic databases (MEDLINE, PubMed and Embase) from January 1990 to June 2016.

Results: Thirty-six studies evaluated 51 different biomarkers in the context of AL after colorectal surgery. Biomarkers included markers of ischaemia and inflammation, and microbiological markers, and were measured in both peritoneal drain fluid and the systemic circulation. The most commonly evaluated peritoneal drain fluid biomarkers were interleukin (IL) 6, IL-10 and tumour necrosis factor. Significantly raised drain levels in the early postoperative period were reported to be associated with the development of AL. C-reactive protein, procalcitonin and leucocytes were the most commonly evaluated systemic biomarkers with significant negative and positive predictive values. Associated area under the curve values ranged from 0·508 to 0·960.

Conclusion: Peritoneal drain fluid and systemic biomarkers are poor predictors of AL after colorectal surgery. Combinations of these biomarkers showed improvement in predictive accuracy.