Redistribution of granulocytes in patients after major surgical stress

Abstract

Major surgery induces a stress response characterized by granulocytosis in peripheral blood, and increased secretion of adrenaline and cortisol. The purpose of this study was to investigate the redistribution of granulocytes in response to major surgical stress. Granulocytes were isolated from eight surgical patients and eight healthy volunteers, labelled with Indium-111-tropolone, and reinjected. The distribution of granulocytes was imaged with a gamma camera and calculated by an interfaced computer before surgery and at 2, 4 and 6 h after the end of surgery. The volunteers served as a control group. In the hours after surgery the radioactivity of the area around the surgical field increased to 410.7% of initial values, while the radioactivity of the spleen decreased to 77.5%. In conclusion, the spleen constitutes a readily mobilizable source of granulocytes. This in vivo model demonstrates pronounced postoperative efflux of granulocytes to the area around the surgical field within hours.