Systemic and cell-mediated immune response after laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy in patients with chronic liver disease. A randomized, prospective study

BACKGROUND: As impaired immune function observed in cirrhotic patients is known to increase the risk of postoperative complications, the immunological response to surgery was investigated. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with postnecrotic liver cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis C and symptomatic gallstone disease were randomly allocated to laparoscopic (LC) or open cholecystectomy (OC). Changes in concentrations of cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10) were followed and the effect of surgical trauma on the distribution of lymphocyte subpopulations (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD16 and CD19) and NK cell cytotoxicity were measured. RESULTS: After OC a decrease in circulating CD3 (p < 0.05) and CD4 (p < 0.05) and an increase in CD19 (p < 0.05) cells were detected in contrast to LC after which only CD16 cells decreased (p = 0.05). The number of CD3 cells was higher after LC than after OC (p < 0.01), whereas the number of CD19 cells was higher after OC than after LC (p < 0.01). NK cell cytotoxicity was reduced after LC (p < 0.05). In cirrhotic patients circulating cytokines were unaffected by OC, whereas TNF-alpha (p < 0.05) and IL-1beta (p < 0.05) were reduced after LC. In chronic hepatitis IL-1beta decreased after OC (p = 0.05) and IL-10 was significantly higher after LC than following OC (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The immune response is less pronounced after a laparoscopic procedure compared to a conventional approach in patients with chronic liver disease.