SERUM PHOSPHOLIPASE A(2) IN PATIENTS AFTER SPLENECTOMY

Phospholipase A(2) values increase in serum in various inflammatory st ates, infections, and postoperatively in surgical patients. Several or gans, including the liver and spleen have been suggested as sources of circulating phospholipase A(2). The purpose of the present work was t o examine the possible role of the spleen as a source of elevated seru m concentrations of phospholipase A(2) after surgery. Pre- and postope rative serum samples of patients undergoing splenectomy were studied f or group I phospholipase A(2), group II phospholipase A(2), and C-reac tive protein mass concentrations and catalytic activity concentration of phospholipase A(2) The catalytic activity concentration of phosphol ipase A(2) and the mass concentrations of group Il phospholipase Az an d C-reactive protein increased postoperatively (8.08 +/- 1.40 U/I vs. 3.96 +/- 0.89 U/I (mean +/- SEM) for phospholipase Az catalytic concen tration (p < 0.03), and 154.8 +/- 32.1 mu g/l vs. 47.5 +/- 14.7 mu g/l (mean +/- SEM) for group II phospholipase A(2) mass concentration (p < 0.02, n = 7)). The mass concentration of group I phospholipase A(2) remained unchanged. The catalytic concentration of phospholipase A(2) correlated well with the mass concentration of group II phospholipase A(2) (p < 0.001, r = 0.846, n = 43). The concentration of C-reactive p rotein correlated well with the mass concentration of group II phospho lipase A(2) (p < 0.001, r = 0.566, n = 43) in serum. The results indic ate that group II phospholipase A(2) is released into the circulation after splenectomy, and the spleen seems not to be the source of circul ating group II phospholipase A(2).