Thoracoscopic sympathectomy at the T2 or T3 level facilitates bradykinin-induced protein extravasation in human forearm skin.

Background.  The endogenous peptide bradykinin (BK) is an inflammatory mediator that induces nociceptor activation and sensitization as well as protein extravasation and vasodilation. Objective.  To test the hypothesis if sympathectomy affects BK-induced inflammation in humans. Methods.  Dermal microdialysis was employed on the volar forearm in 10 patients (21–41 years) with regional hyperhidrosis before and three months after preganglionic endoscopic transthoracic sympathetic clipping (ETSC) at the T2 or T3 level and in 10 healthy volunteers (22–36 years). After 60 minutes perfusion with Ringer's solution microdialysis fibers were perfused with BK 10−7 M and 10−5 M for 30 minutes followed …