Immune system and surgical site infection

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Surgical Infections
• Host Defense Mechanisms

Background:

• Altered host defenses significantly contribute to infection development, particularly in surgical patients.
• Patient-specific factors (age, comorbidities, therapies) and surgical factors influence immune response and infection risk.
• Understanding these factors is crucial for developing targeted therapies to reduce post-surgical infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review factors affecting host defenses in surgical patients.
• To highlight the role of immune response modulation in preventing post-surgical infections.
• To discuss strategies for optimizing immune function in surgical settings.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of factors influencing host immunity in surgical patients.
• Analysis of patient-related risk factors (age, diseases, malnutrition, therapies) and their impact on immune response.
• Examination of surgical trauma effects on immune suppression and host defenses.

Main Results:

• Advanced age, chronic diseases (diabetes, renal/liver failure, cancer, autoimmune diseases, AIDS), malnutrition, and certain therapies (corticosteroids, cytotoxic agents) impair immune responses.
• Nutritional deficiencies (vitamins B6, A, folate, biotin, riboflavin) significantly alter leukocyte function.
• Surgical stress and trauma induce innate immune suppression, affecting phagocytosis, opsonization, chemotaxis, and cell-mediated immunity.

Conclusions:

• Minimizing post-surgical infections requires addressing patient-specific immune vulnerabilities.
• Reducing surgical trauma lessens stress response and immune suppression.
• Optimizing immune response through nutritional support is a critical strategy for preventing surgical site infections.