Prolonged impairment of cell-mediated immunity after major abdominal surgery in malnourished patients

The effect of the nutritional status on postoperative impairment of the immune response was studied in adults undergoing major abdominal surgery. The immune function was evaluated by measuring in vitro the lymphocytic response to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (Con A) and the purified protein derivative of tuberculin (PPD) in whole blood cultures, and in vivo delayed skin hypersensitivity to candida, mumps, streptokinase-streptodornase and PPD. Nutritional assessment was carried out by evaluating recent weight loss, the weight for height index and by measuring the arm muscle circumference (AMC), triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), the creatinine-height index (CHI) and the serum concentration of albumin and prealbumin. The patient was considered malnourished, if at least three of these criteria were abnormal. The immune parameters were measured preoperatively, at the end of the surgery and five days after operation. Before the operation both malnourished and well-nourished patients had normal lymphocytic responses, but the malnourished patients had a slower recovery of immune responses after the operation and they had an increased number of postoperative complications. No significant differences in the incidence of anergy were observed between the well and malnourished patients pre or postoperatively.