In patients with intestinal strangulation, early diagnosis and prompt intervention can play a key role in the final outcome. Physical signs and routine laboratory findings only raise the level of suspicion to the presence of intestinal ischaemia. Several markers such as alkaline phosphtase,¹ creatinine phosphokinase,² and lactate dehydrogenase³ and procalcitonin (Pct) serum levels have been proposed for the early diagnosis of intestinal ischaemia.⁴

Plasma levels of endothelin 1 (ET1) have been recently associated with cardiac ischaemia.⁵ It has also been reported that ET1 plays a central role in the pathophysiology of intestinal ischaemic injury.⁶ Wang et al⁷ recently reported that ligation of mesenteric vessels caused an increase in serum ET1 levels in rats. On the other hand, other researchers reported that in spite of increased release of ET1 …