Natural killer cell activity after immediate postoperative enteral and parenteral nutrition

Effects of immediate postoperative enteral and parenteral nutrition on natural killer (NK) cell activity were compared after major abdominal surgery. Eleven patients were fed enterally (2,000 kcal/12.4 g N) and eleven parenterally (1,940 kcal/12.4 g N) for three days after operation. NK cell activity against K562 target cells, determined in the 51Cr release assay, was similar in patients of both groups preoperatively. Postoperatively the patients showed a decrease in NK cell activity (p less than 0.01) but without differences between the groups. The percentages of NK cells did not change between or within the two groups. The results suggest that immediate postoperative enteral nutrition had no superiority over parenteral nutrition on NK cell function in surgical patients.