Effect of 2 anesthetic techniques on the postoperative proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine response and cellular immune function to minor surgery.

Study Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of 2 established anesthetic techniques: total intravenous anesthesia and balanced inhalation anesthesia (BAL) on the perioperative-induced changes of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), changes in lymphocyte subsets, and the balance of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines.

Design: This is a prospective, randomized, clinical comparison study.

Settings: This study was set at a university hospital.

Patients: This study involved 50 patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I who were scheduled for elective minimal invasive partial diskectomy.

Interventions: There was no intervention involved in this study.

Measurements: Changes in differential counts, lymphocyte subsets, and proliferation rates were determined before surgery and in the early postoperative period. Plasma concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-2, IL-6, IL-12, interferon gamma) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10, IL-1RA, transforming growth factor beta), and plasma concentrations of cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine were measured before, during, and after surgery.

Main Results: Absolute number of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+, and expression of HLA-DR and activation marker CD25+, CD26+, and CD69+ decreased more in response to surgery after BAL. Changes in distribution of T-lymphocyte cells seem to be in part related to severe postoperative pain. Plasma concentration of IL-6 significantly increased during and after surgery with BAL without relation to pain.

Conclusion: Anesthetic management may have varying influences on the postoperative immune response. Surgery-induced inflammatory response and alteration in cell-mediated immunity seem to be more pronounced after BAL. These effects were attributed to the enhanced stress response after BAL.