[Perioperative changes in cell-mediated immunity in patients with chronic renal failure]

The effect of anesthesia and surgery on cell-mediated immunity was investigated in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) having latent immunological abnormalities compared with patients with normal renal function (NRF) as control. The patient had minor surgery with enflurane anesthesia. During the perioperative period the numbers of peripheral lymphocyte and its subsets were measured by single and two-color analysis, by applying monoclonal antibodies against lymphocyte membrane surface markers. While the number of peripheral lymphocyte was lower in CRF group than in NRF group throughout the whole period, it decreased significantly on the first and third post-operative days in CRF group. No change in peripheral lymphocyte subsets and CD 4/CD 8 ratio was observed except for increase in CD 8 one hour after incision and decrease in CD 8 on the first postoperative day. Significant difference from NRF group was observed neither in peripheral lymphocyte subset nor in CD 4/CD 8 ratio. In minor surgery under enflurane anesthesia no disturbance on immunological system was observed even in the patients with chronic renal failure.