title: Post-operative depression of antibody-dependent lymphocyte cytotoxicity following minor surgery and anaesthesia.
abstract: Leucocytes taken 1 day post-operatively from patients who had undergone surgery under general anaesthesia for benign breast disease showed a significantly diminished capacity to induce lysis of antibody-coated target cells compared with those taken pre-operatively from the same patients. No significant fall in PHA responsiveness was observed in these leucocytes in the post-operative period. This indicates a high sensitivity of the cell types involved in the antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity reaction to the suppressive effect of surgery and anaesthesia. Plasmas taken post-operatively from these patients were effective in diminishing the capacity of leucocytes from healthy untreated donors to initiate antibody-coated target cell lysis compared with pre-operative plasmas although the plasma cortisol levels in these samples did not differ significantly. Possible mediators of this suppressive effect and its significance are discussed.
mesh_terms: D000768:Anesthesia, General; D000906:Antibodies; D001706:Biopsy; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D037102:Lectins; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D013511:Minor Surgical Procedures
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D037102:Lectins; D006854:Hydrocortisone