Korean J Anesthesiol.  2000 Aug;39(2):177-182. 10.4097/kjae.2000.39.2.177.

The Influence of Anesthetic Technique on the Responses of White Blood Cells and Interleukin-6 in Patients Undergoing Low Abdominal Surgery

• Kim MH
• Lim KI

• KMID: 2031558
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.2000.39.2.177

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Surgical trauma and anesthesia are associated with postoperative immune suppression. Alterations in immune response have been suggested in the same surgery, according to anesthetic techniques. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate whether regional anesthesia or premedication with clonidine change postoperative circulating neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes, and interleukin 6 (IL-6) responses.
METHODS
Thirty patients undergoing elective low abdominal surgery were randomly divided into 3 groups: the control group and spinal group received no premedication and the clonidine group received general anesthesia with clonidine premedication. Blood samples were obtained to measure subpopulations of white blood cells (WBC) and IL-6 at pre-induction, immediately after the operation, and 24 h after incision.
RESULTS
Increase in total WBC and percentage of neutrophils, decrease in percentage of lymphocytes and monocytes, and increase in IL-6 levels were significant after surgery, compared to the baseline values within the three groups. However, no significant differences of subsets of WBC and IL-6 level were seen among the groups throughout the study periods.
CONCLUSIONS
Anesthetic technique did not influence the levels of circulating WBC and IL-6.

Keyword

Anesthetic technique, general: spinal; Immune response, interleukin-6: white blood cells; Pharmacology: clonidine

MeSH Terms

Anesthesia
Anesthesia, Conduction
Anesthesia, General
Clonidine
Humans
Interleukin-6*
Leukocytes*
Lymphocytes
Monocytes
Neutrophils
Premedication
Clonidine
Interleukin-6