Changes after splenectomy of plasma protein pattern in Banti's syndrome.

Abstract

The authors followed up, from six months to as long as 13 years and two months, a series of patients who had been splenectomized for Banti's syndrome at their surgical department. In succession to a number of papers that were published in this Journal, this communication deals with the postoperative change of plasma protein picture. The total protein level, which on many occasions had been below the normal range before splenectomy, tended to increase postoperatively; the average level was higher than the preoperative one not only at the time of discharge but also on follow-up study. Various favorable changes were also recorded in fractions of plasma protein, and the A/G ratio was found to increase usually from a low preoperative value to approximate to the normal range by the time of long-term follow-up. On the basis of these results, the authors have concluded that splenectomy for Banti's syndrome has an effect to correct the abnormal plasma protein picture in this syndrome. A study on preoperative pattern of plasma protein in Banti's syndrome was reported in a previous paper.1 The present report discusses changes of plasma protein pattern in splenectomized cases with Banti's syndrome, particularly on the basis of long-term follow-up studies of the patients.