Acta Med. 2008, 51: 25-29
The Effect of Cardiac Surgery on Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Populations
Background: Cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is associated with some adverse postoperative complications caused by an altered immune response. An alternative approach to cardiac surgery, operating without the use of CPB (i.e. off-pump surgery), seems to display less adverse impacts on the immune response. Patients and Methods: Peripheral blood lymphocytes in 40 patients undergoing cardiac surgery either with CPB (“on-pump”) or without CPB (“off-pump”) were followed using flow cytometry. The samples of peripheral blood were taken at five intervals: preoperatively, after termination of the surgery, on the first, on the third and on the seventh postoperative day, respectively. Results: The most substantial changes appeared on the first postoperative day in both subgroups of patients. While the percentage of both total T cells and CD4+ T cells were decreased, the percentage of HLA-DR+ activated lymphocytes was increased. These changes were more profound in the “on-pump” subgroup compared to the “off-pump” subgroup. Conclusion: Our results may suggest that the “off-pump” surgical approach reveals less adverse impact on adaptive immune responses.
Keywords
Cardiac surgery, CPB (cardiopulmonary bypass), Beating heart surgery, Lymphocytes, Flow cytometry.
Funding
This work was supported by a research program of The Czech Ministry of Youth, School and Physical Activities, School and Physical Activities No. MSM 0021620812 and Internal Grant Agency of Ministry of Health, Czech Republic, No. NR/9090–4.
References
Copyright
Published by the Karolinum Press. For permission to use please write to actamedica@lfhk.cuni.cz.
