Scorpion envenomation is a common health problem all over the world. Recent experimental studies on animals were held to prove the correlation between interleukin 1 β (IL-1β), lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide (NO) production in the development of cardiac and pancreatic abnormalities after scorpion venom exposure. The aim of this study is to assess the correlation of lipid peroxidation and IL-1β release and the development of cardiac and pancreatic complications associated with scorpion envenomation in humans which will subsequently evaluate their role in prediction of cardiac or pancreatic complications and help the physicians when to determine to use antioxidants and (IL-1β) receptor blockers in treatment in addition to scorpion antivenom.
In this study, 88 subjects were recruited from El-Minia university hospital. All the patients admitted with scorpion envenomation diagnosis were enrolled over a period of 12 months; from the 1st of Jan 2021 till the 30th of Jan 2022. After exclusion of 7 patients, the remaining subjects were divided into four groups of subjects according to their cardiac function into two groups: group A with normal cardiac function contained: 30 normal subjects, group B contained 51 subjects who had abnormal cardiac functions. The patients were considered to have abnormal cardiac function if they had at least one or more abnormal cardiac investigations (cardiac troponin I (c TN-I), electrocardiogram (ECG), and/or, trans thoracic echocardiography (TTE)).The same patients were divided into another two groups: group C with normal pancreatic function contained: 36 normal subjects, group D contained 45 subjects who had abnormal pancreatic function. Pancreatic function was considered abnormal if one or both of serum amylase & random blood sugar results weren’t normal.
Our results showed the following: Regarding cardiac abnormality, there were significant statistical differences with both levels of IL-1β and MDA. Regarding pancreatic abnormality, there were insignificant statistical differences with both levels of IL-1β and MDA. Cutoff values were calculated to help health care providers to assess when to introduce such treatments in addition to antivenom to help to counteract these complications and decline the mortality rates.
It was concluded that IL-1β and MDA have significant correlations in the development of cardiac and pancreatic functions abnormalities; the treatments that modify their release or counteract their action may be beneficial.
Mebed, G.R., Zakaria, M.S., Setouhi, A. et al. The correlation between Interleukin 1 β (IL-1β) as an inflammatory marker and Malondialdehyde (MDA) as a lipid peroxidation marker and the development of cardiac and pancreatic complications in humans suspected to scorpion poisoning. BMC Pharmacol Toxicol 26, 204 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40360-025-01019-6