The influence of anaesthesia on the acute phase protein response to surgery

The influence of anaesthesia on the peri-operative changes in acute phase protein concentrations was studied in 18 patients undergoing elective cholecystectomy. A standard anaesthetic technique was supplemented either by one of two different doses of fentanyl, or by halothane. Eleven proteins were studied but the acute phase response was significantly altered by the anaesthetic technique for only two, fibrinogen and antichymotrypsin. The concentration of these proteins tended to be lower with 2-3 micrograms/kg fentanyl than with either halothane or fentanyl 12 micrograms/kg. There was no evidence of variation in stress suppression between the three techniques. The mechanism of any anaesthetic influence on the acute phase response is uncertain and this study is too small to assess its clinical significance.