Transient Effects of Anesthesia on Leukocyte Apoptosis and Monocyte Cytokine Stimulation: A Clinical Study.

The effects of anesthetics on immune cell apoptosis and cytokine stimulation were studied in a prospective study. American Society of Anesthesiologists I/II patients underwent elective inguinal hernia repair or varicose veins stripping surgery and were randomized to either epidural anesthesia (n = 14) or general anesthesia with sevoflurane (n = 19) or propofol (n = 15). Blood was sampled before anesthesia induction (T0), at the end of surgery (T1), and 6 h later (T2).

Pituitary-adrenal responses following major abdominal surgery.

Objective: Perioperative pituitary-adrenal responses after major abdominal surgery have not been well characterized. The aim of the present study was to further clarify perioperative pituitary-adrenal responses.

Design: Thirty-six patients (20 men), aged 68+/-10 years (mean+/-SD), undergoing major abdominal operations were studied.