Background: Cardiopulmonary bypass during open heart surgery causes systemic inflammatory respose. IL-10 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine that inhibits inflammatory process and protects organ function by down regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine release and maintenance of blood level balance with pro-inflammatory cytokines. Mateial and Method: Plasma IL-10 levels were measured and analyzed in 22 patients who underwent open heart surgery (11 cases of coronary artery bypass graft, 11 cases of valve replacement) under cardiopulmonary bypass since 1988 January to July at Department of Thoracic and Czardiovascular surgery, Yeungnam University Hospital. 1g of methylprednisolone was administrated to thirteen patients randomly. Blood samp.es were taken and collected at the time of induction of anesthesia, 10 min before cardiopulmonary bypass, 10 min after starting of CPB, 10 min aftr aortic cross clamping, 10 min after ACC release, and 10 min, 2 hours, and `5 hours after CPB respectively. The plasma levels of IL-10 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays(ELISA). Wilcoxon-Raule Sum test was used for statistical analysis. Result: In all 22 patients, cardiopulmonary bypass time was used for statistical analysis. Result: In all 22 patients, cardiopulmonary bypass time was 171$pm$41.4 min and aortic cross clamp time was 118$pm$36.5 min. Peak IL-10 level was achieved at 10 min after ACC(361.0$pm$52.81pg/ml) and was decreased sharply at 2 hours after CPB. Peak IL-10 level was correlated positively with aortic cross clamp time(p=0.011); however, it did not correlated with bypass time(p=0.181). In valve replacement group, mean IL-10 level at peak point was 567.89$pm$107.69 pg/ml and was significantly higher than that of coronary artery bypass group(205.67$pm$192.70 pg/ml)(p<0.001). ACC time in valve replacement group was significantly longer than that of coronary artery bypass group(p<0.01), however, bypass time was not(p=0.212). Thirteen patients with steroid pretreatment before starting of CPB showed relatively higher plasma IL-10 level than in control group, however, no statistical significance was noted(p=0.19). Conclusion: plasma level of IL-10 was increased in association with cardiopulmonary bypass and revealed peak at 10 min after ACC release. IL-10 level was correlated positively with ACC time. Therefore, systemic inflammatory respeonse in association with cardiopulmonary bypass could be decreased by reducing ACC time during cardiac surgery.