Flow cytometric evaluation of T cell activation markers after cardiopulmonary bypass

Background. Cardiopulmonary bypass surgery (CPBS) is associated with an increased risk for infections or with subsequent organ dysfunction. As T cell activation is a central mechanism during inflammatory processes, we developed an assay to evaluate T cell activation pathways in patients undergoing CPBS. Methods. Blood was obtained from eleven patients undergoing CPBS preoperatively, on postoperative day (POD)-3, and on POD-7 and was stimulated with different concentrations of Concanavalin A (ConA). Cyclosporine and sirolimus, inhibiting different pathways of the T cell cycle, were added to blood ex vivo. Expression of T cell activation markers CD25 and CD95 was analyzed by flow cytometry. Results. In untreated blood, expression of CD25 and CD95 significantly increased with higher ConA concentrations (P < 0.05) and decreased for all ConA concentrations for both antigens over the study time (P < 0.05). Independently from the ConA concentration, inhibition of CD25 and CD95 expression was highest preoperatively for sirolimus and on POD-3 for cyclosporine. At all time points, inhibition of CD25 and CD95 expression was significantly higher after cyclosporine compared to sirolimus treatment (P < 0.001). Conclusion. Our results showed that different pathways of T cell activation are impaired after CPBS. Such knowledge may offer the opportunity to identify patients at risk for postoperative complications.