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Changes in lymphocyte subsets, mitogen responsiveness, and interleukin-2 production after cardiac operations
K Hisatomi1, T Isomura, T Kawara
1Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
Insights
Cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass depresses cellular immunity, specifically interleukin-2 production. Blood transfusions and patient health status further impair immune recovery post-operation.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Cellular Immunity
Background:
- Cardiac operations, particularly those using cardiopulmonary bypass, can significantly impact the immune system.
- Understanding the specific effects on lymphocyte subsets, mitogen responsiveness, and interleukin-2 production is crucial for patient recovery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the changes in peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets, mitogen responsiveness, and interleukin-2 production following cardiac operations.
- To compare these changes with a control group undergoing cholecystectomy.
- To identify factors influencing immune recovery, such as blood transfusion and preoperative patient condition.
Main Methods:
- Studied 104 patients post-cardiac operation and 10 control patients post-cholecystectomy.
- Measured lymphocyte subsets using monoclonal antibodies.
- Assessed mitogen responsiveness and interleukin-2 production via phytohemagglutinin stimulation and tritium thymidine labeling in microtiter plate cultures.
Main Results:
- Cardiac surgery patients showed depressed mitogen responsiveness and markedly reduced interleukin-2 production (over 90% on day 1 post-op).
- Control patients had no significant immune changes.
- Interleukin-2 production improved by day 3 in non-transfused patients but remained depressed in transfused patients, especially those with poorer preoperative health (NYHA classes III and IV).
Conclusions:
- Cardiac operations utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass suppress cellular immunity, including interleukin-2 production.
- Blood transfusions from random donors and the patient's preoperative condition are significant contributors to the suppression of cell-mediated immunity post-cardiac surgery.
Abstract:
We studied 104 patients after cardiac operations to search for changes in peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets, mitogen responsiveness, and interleukin-2 production. Mononuclear cells obtained from 10 patients with cholecystectomy were examined as control samples. Cultures for phytohemagglutinin and interleukin-2 production were incubated in microtiter plates for 24 hours with cells labeled with tritium thymidine used as target cells. Lymphocyte subsets were measured by using monoclonal antibodies. The results obtained with preoperative blood samples were compared with those from the first, third, and seventh days after operation. In patients having cardiac operations, mitogen responsiveness was low on both the first and the seventh days after operation and interleukin-2 production was markedly depressed (greater than 90% depressed) on the first postoperative day. However, in control samples from patients having cholecystectomy, lymphocyte subsets, mitogen responsiveness, and interleukin-2 production showed no significant changes. Improvement in interleukin-2 production occurred immediately in patients without blood transfusion from random donors and reached normal levels by postoperative day 3. However, interleukin-2 production remained depressed on day 3 in all patients with transfusion from random donors and remained significantly diminished even on day 7 in such patients in New York Heart Association classes III and IV. We conclude that heart operations for which cardiopulmonary bypass is used are associated with depression of cellular immunity, including interleukin-2 production. Furthermore, it appears that both blood transfusion from random donors and the general preoperative condition of the patients contribute to suppression of measures of cell-mediated immunity.