Effect of Surgical Stress on Immune Function in Patients with Urologic Cancer

Background: To determine the immunosuppressive effect of surgery for urologic cancers, multiple variables of immune function were measured serially before and after operation in patients with urologic cancer.
Methods: Peripheral blood was obtained before operation and at postoperative day 7 and 14 from 20 patients with bladder cancer, renal pelvic, or ureteral cancer, or renal cell carcinoma.
Results: In patients with bladder cancer who were undergoing radical cystectomy with use of intestine for urinary diversion, the serum level of immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP) increased, and serum levels of immunoglobulin (Ig)A, IgG, and IgM decreased after operation. In contrast, the number of CD25+ lymphocytes significantly increased. Transurethral resection of bladder cancer also resulted in an increase in serum IAP level, however, the number of CD4+ and human leukocyte-associated HLA-DR+ lymphocytes increased. In patients with renal pelvic or ureteral cancer undergoing nephroureterectomy with cuff, the level of serum IAP increased and serum IgG level decreased after operation. By contrast, the number of CD3+ lymphocytes increased. In patients with renal cell carcinoma, radical nephrectomy led to a significant increase in the number of CD8+ lymphocytes.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that surgical stress in patients with urologic cancer may result in both suppression and stimulation of host immunity.