Immune response and cytokines in septic rats undergoing blood transfusion

Background. Intrabdominal sepsis and allogeneic blood transfusion have been associated with a depression of the immune response in patients undergoing surgery. Some authors have considered that an already immunocompromised ho st is probably primed for a potential detrimental effect of allogeneic bloo d. The aim of this paper is to ascertain the effects of allogeneic blood tr ansfusion on the lymphocyte subsets and cytokines in septic rats. Materials and Methods. Thirty rats were allotted into three groups: Sham-CL P, anesthesia and laparotomy; CLP, cecal ligation and puncture; CLP+BT, CLP and allogeneic blood transfusion. Preoperatively and on the 1st, 3rd, and 7th postoperative days, the cell percentages of lymphocyte subpopulations, the IL-2 receptor expression, and the IL-1, IL-2, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma w ere measured in blood by flow cytometry and ELISA. Results. CLP+BT rats showed on Day 3 a decrease of the CD4+%, an increase o f the IL-BR expression directly correlated to the increase of the CD8+% phe notype, a steady increase of IL-1 levels, a decrease of the TNF-alpha level s on the Ist and 3rd days, and a decrease of the IL-2 and IFN-gamma on Day 1. Conclusions. An accumulative effect of the immunodepression induced by seps is was observed when allogeneic blood transfusion is added, Blood transfusi on + sepsis induces an extensive impairment on cellular immune response and an initial cytokine downregulation, except for IL-1. (C) 1998 Academic Pre ss.