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Postoperative immunosuppression markers and the occurrence of sepsis in patients with benign and malignant disease

Postoperative Marker der Immunsuppression und die Entstehung von Sepsis bei Patienten mit benignen und malignen Erkrankungen

Wiener klinische Wochenschrift volume 126, pages 774–784 (2014)Cite this article

Summary

Aim

To investigate associations between the postoperative immune response and the levels of extracellular circulating DNA (cDNA), C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil/lymphocyte (N/L) ratio, and regulatory T (Treg) cells in the peripheral blood and their role as potential predictors of postoperative septic complications.

Methods

This was a prospective observational study involving 115 adult patients who underwent elective surgery. Patients were divided into three groups: with benign disease, with malignant disease, and with malignant disease and administration of dexamethasone. Serum CRP levels, N/L ratio, monocyte human leukocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) expression, proportion of Treg cells, and cDNA levels were measured at different time points before and after surgery.

Results

All patients had increased CRP levels after surgery. Septic patients had higher serum CRP levels at baseline. Compared with the other groups, the dexamethasone group had significantly higher CRP levels before and after surgery, a significantly higher N/L ratio before surgery, a significantly lower rise in the N/L ratio after surgery, and a significantly lower HLA-DR expression at baseline, which remained stable after surgery. In the malignant-disease group, we observed a significant postoperative decrease in the HLA-DR expression.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the immunosuppressive effect of surgery and the presence of a malignant disease may contribute to a higher risk of postoperative sepsis. Preoperative CRP levels may be a reliable predictor of sepsis in oncological patients.

Zusammenfassung

Ziel

der Studie war es, Zusammenhänge zwischen der postoperativen Immunantwort und den Konzentrationen der zirkulierenden extrazellulären DNA (cDNA), des CRPs, des Quotienten Neutrophile/Lymphozyten (N/L) und der regulatorischen T (Treg) Zellen im peripheren Blut sowie deren Rolle als mögliche Vorhersager von postoperativen septischen Komplikationen zu untersuchen.

Methoden

In diese prospektive Beobachtungsstudie haben wir 115 erwachsene Patienten, die einer elektiven Operation unterzogen wurden, eingeschlossen. Die Patienten wurden in 3 Gruppen eingeteilt: eine mit benigner Erkrankung, eine mit maligner Erkrankung und eine mit maligner Erkrankung und Gabe von Dexamethason. Die Serum-Konzentrationen des CRPs, der N/L Quotienten, der HLA-DR Expression der Monozyten, des Anteils der Treg Zellen und die Konzentrationen der cDNA wurden zu verschiedenen Zeitpunkten vor und nach der Operation gemessen.

Ergebnisse

Alle Patienten hatten nach der Operation erhöhte CRP Konzentrationen. Bei den Patienten mit postoperativer Sepsis waren die CRP Ausgangswerte höher. Im Vergleich mit den anderen Gruppen hatte die Gruppe der Patienten mit Dexamethason signifikant höhere CRP Werte vor und nach der Operation. Außerdem waren die N/L Quotienten präoperativ vergleichsweise signifikant erhöht, während postoperativ bei dieser Gruppe ein signifikant niedrigerer Anstieg der N/L Quotienten beobachtet wurde. Die Ausgangswerte der HLA-DR Expression waren bei diesen Patienten signifikant erniedrigt und blieben postoperativ stabil. Bei der Gruppe der Patienten mit maligner Erkrankung beobachteten wir postoperativ einen signifikanten Abfall der HLA-DR Expression.

Schlussfolgerungen

Unsere Ergebnisse lassen vermuten, dass der immunsuppressive Effekt einer Operation und das Vorliegen einer malignen Erkrankung zu einem erhöhten Risiko für das Auftreten einer postoperativen Sepsis beitragen können. Präoperative CRP Werte scheinen einen verlässlichen Vorhersagewert bezüglich Sepsis bei onkologischen Patienten zu haben.

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Fig. 1

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to kindly thank Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of the Republic of Croatia for their generous support (Grant number: 219-0000000-3362).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there are no actual or potential conflicts of interest in relation to this article.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine Osijek, J.J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Huttlerova 4, 31000, Osijek, Croatia

    Tamara Alkhamis MD, PhD & Jerko Barbić MD, PhD

  2. Department of Anaesthesiology, Reanimation and Intensive Care Unit, Clinical Hospital Centre Osijek, Osijek, Croatia

    Dubravka Ivić MD, PhD, Josip Ivić MD, PhD & Ivana Turina MD

  3. Cytogenetics laboratory, Department of Medical Biology,Faculty of Medicine, University J.J. Strossmayer, Osijek, Croatia

    Jasenka Wagner PhD

  4. Department of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Clinical Hospital Centre Osijek, Osijek, Croatia

    Blaženka Dobrošević MSc Medical Biochemistry

  5. Department of Biophysics, Medical Statistics and Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine Osijek, J.J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia

    Kristina Kralik MSc Mathematics

  6. Nephrology and Dialysis Department, Clinical Hospital Centre Osijek, Osijek, Croatia

    Jerko Barbić MD, PhD

Authors
  1. Tamara Alkhamis MD, PhD
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  2. Dubravka Ivić MD, PhD
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  3. Jasenka Wagner PhD
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  4. Josip Ivić MD, PhD
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  5. Blaženka Dobrošević MSc Medical Biochemistry
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  6. Ivana Turina MD
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  7. Kristina Kralik MSc Mathematics
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  8. Jerko Barbić MD, PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jerko Barbić MD, PhD.

Additional information

Tamara Alkhamis and Dubravka Ivić contributed equally to this work.This research was supported by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of the Republic of Croatia, Grant number219-0000000-3362.

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Alkhamis, T., Ivić, D., Wagner, J. et al. Postoperative immunosuppression markers and the occurrence of sepsis in patients with benign and malignant disease. Wien Klin Wochenschr 126, 774–784 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-014-0613-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-014-0613-6

Keywords

  • C-reactive protein
  • Neutrophils
  • Lymphocytes
  • Immunity
  • Postoperative period

Schlüsselwörter

  • C-reaktives Protein
  • Neutrophile
  • Lymphozyten
  • Immunstatus
  • Postoperative Phase