title: Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Subsets (CD4+, CD8+ T Cells, NK Cells) in Patients with Cardiovascular and Neurological Complications after Carotid Endarterectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the study was to evaluate the differences in the circulating immune cells' subgroups after the atherosclerotic plaque removal in patients presenting with postoperative complications as compared to the patients without complications after carotid endarterectomy (CEA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with significant carotid atherosclerosis (n=124, age range: 44 to 87 years) who underwent CEA were enrolled in a prospective study. The immunology study using flow cytometry was performed to determine the percentages of peripheral blood T cells (CD4+, CD8+, Treg-CD4+/CD25+) and NK (natural killer) cells before and after the procedure. The data were expressed as the percentage of total lymphocytes±the standard error of mean.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean percentage of lymphocytes (61.54%±17.50% vs. 71.82%±9.68%, p=0.030) and CD4 T lymphocytes (T helper, 38.13%±13.78% vs. 48.39%±10.24%, p=0.027) was significantly lower six hours after CEA in patients with postoperative 30-day cardiovascular and neurological complications as compared to the group without complications. On the other hand the mean NK level in the group with complications was significantly higher (21.61%±9.00% vs. 15.80%±9.31%, p=0.048).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest that after carotid endarterectomy the percentages of circulating immune cells subsets differ in patients with and without postoperative complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Acute Poisoning, Pomeranian Medical University, Teaching Hospital No. 2, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland. k.kotfis@wp.pl.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kotfis
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Acute Poisoning, Pomeranian Medical University, Teaching Hospital No. 2, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland. lisienko@wp.pl.
authors.forename: Jowita
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Biernawska
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Acute Poisoning, Pomeranian Medical University, Teaching Hospital No. 2, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland. mazegan@wp.pl.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zegan-Barańska
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Acute Poisoning, Pomeranian Medical University, Teaching Hospital No. 2, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland. zukowski@sci.pum.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Żukowski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000097:blood*