PROPOFOL EMULSION REDUCES PROLIFERATIVE RESPONSES OF LYMPHOCYTES FROMINTENSIVE-CARE PATIENTS

Objective: To test propofol lipid emulsion formulation for its immunos uppressive effects. Design: Propofol lipid emulsion and the emulsion a lone were tested at increasing concentrations and compared to initial values and between each other. Propofol alone could not be tested due to its insolubility into the culture medium.Patients and participants. Lymphocytes from 12 surgical intensive care (ICU) patients (median AP ACHE score 16 and median TISS score 28) and 12 healthy volunteers. Mea surements: Phytohaemagglutinin-, concanavalin A- and pokeweed mitogen- induced lymphocyte proliferative responses were measured in the presen ce of increasing concentrations of propofol lipid emulsion formulation or the lipid emulsion. Results: Lymphocyte proliferative responses fr om ICU patients were in general on a lower level than in the volunteer s. The propofol lipid emulsion formulation (Diprivan(R)) decreased pok eweed mitogen-induced proliferative responses of lymphocytes from ICU patients at propofol concentrations found in the circulation (1 - 10 m ug/ml) and the lipid emulsion alone at 100 mug/ml triglyceride concent rations while the other mitogen-induced responses were not affected. N o changes were observed in the mitogen-induced responses of lymphocyte s from healthy volunteers. Conclusions. Propofol emulsion formulation decreased in surgical intensive care patients pokeweed mitogen-induced lymphocytic responses in vitro at clinically found concentrations, in dicating the need for further studies to test B-lymphocyte functions a nd T-B-lymphocyte co-operation during propofol lipid emulsion administ ration.