PERIPHERAL-BLOOD IMMUNE-RESPONSES TO SURGICALLY INDUCED LUNG-TISSUE INJURY

Surgically induced lung tissue trauma reveals an immune response in pe ripheral blood, the degree of which could depend on extent and severit y of the organ trauma and the presence of lung malignancies. The study included 34 patients who underwent elective thoracic surgery because of benign and malignant lung tissue diseases. Flow-cytometric phenotyp ing of lymphocyte subsets shows a clear shift to reduced immunocompete nt cells after lung tissue injury. Patients with lung tumors reveal a postoperative activation of the macrophage system as indicated by incr eased plasma levels of neopterin. Increased levels of soluble interleu kin-2 receptor in the plasma of these patients may be the result of ce llular shedding of the receptor. Lung tissue trauma is also followed b y reduced immunoglobulin levels which are most pronounced in the prese nce of lung malignancies. These results suggest that lung tissue injur y leads to postoperative immunosuppression especially in tumor patient s.