J Korean Assoc Oral Maxillofac Surg.  2003 Apr;29(2):108-115.

The immune suppressive effect from the stress of maxillofacial operations

• Kim SM
• Lee SK

Abstract

Suppression of cellular immunity is the host responses to surgical stress. When the body is exposed to surgical stress, decreased immunocyte function is one of the surgical stress-induced biologic responses. In all patients exposed to the surgical stress, peripheral blood lymphocyte numbers and function were suppressed until at least 2 weeks postoperatively. This immunosuppression was mainly due to a decrease of helper-inducer T cells, cytotoxic T cells, natural killer cells, and an increase of suppressor T cells. The blood levels of interleukin-6(IL-6) cytokine increase in response to surgical stress and cause an increase of so-called acute phase reactants, including C-reactive protein(CRP). In the previously damaged patients group, expected to early stress expose, immunosuppression was more developed than other normal groups. Cellular immunosuppression by surgical stress was mainly due to an increase of lymphocyte subsets that depress cellular immunity coupled with a decrease of the subsets that promote it. Overproduction of CRP in response to surgical stress may play an important role in the development of immunosuppression.

Keyword

Cellular immunity; Peripheral blood lymphocyte; Imunosuppression; IL-6; Acute phase reactants; CRP; Cytokine

MeSH Terms

Acute-Phase Proteins
Humans
Immunity, Cellular
Immunosuppression
Interleukin-6
Killer Cells, Natural
Lymphocyte Count
Lymphocyte Subsets
T-Lymphocytes
Acute-Phase Proteins
Interleukin-6