title: Effect of surgical trauma on delayed type hypersensitivity.
abstract: There is no general agreement in the literature concerning the effects of surgery on delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH). Therefore, the effect of a standard laparotomy on DTH was studied in rats and measured by the ear index method of Kostiala. Surgery depresses significantly the ear index in animals challenged at the time of operation (2.35 +/- 0.24 vs 6.30 +/- 1.26) or 24 hr later (2.69 +/- 0.21 vs 4.34 +/- 0.64). There is no late rebound of the immune response. The reduction of ear index is not due to a delayed response of operated rats but is really a decrease of the peak response. Surgery seems to act on the early phase of the immune response.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012882:Skin Tests; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000009:adverse effects*