REDUCED HEPATIC ACUTE-PHASE RESPONSE AFTER SIMULTANEOUS RESECTION FORGASTROINTESTINAL CANCER WITH SYNCHRONOUS LIVER METASTASES

Serum cytokines and hepatic acute-phase responses were studied in seve n patients undergoing simultaneous resection of primary gastrointestin al cancer and synchronous metastatic liver tumours and in 12 undergoin g partial hepatectomy alone for metachronous hepatic metastases. The i ncidence of postoperative infectious complications was significantly h igher after simultaneous resection than after partial hepatectomy alon e (P<0.05). Although the peak interleukin 6 level was significantly hi gher after simultaneous resection (P<0.05), plasma levels of acute-pha se proteins were significantly lower (P<0.05), The results suggest tha t simultaneous resections further reduce the hepatic acute-phase respo nse and render patients liable to infection compared with partial hepa tectomy alone, and result in a higher incidence of postoperative infec tive complications.