Pre- and post-operative changes in serum immunoglobulin level in neurosurgical patients

46 patients treated by operative neurosurgery for spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage, intracranial tumour and spinal diseases were studied. Levels of circulating immunoglobulin and complement were measured pre-operatively and serially in the first 10 post-operative days. Prior to operation immunoglobulin levels in all categories of patients were distributed normally. However, immediately post-operatively IgG and IgM fell sharply. Conversely IgA rose in a marked manner and C3 levels showed a gradual increase. Later, antibody levels tended to return to normal.