Immune Response and Cytokines in Septic Rats Undergoing Blood Transfusion

Abstract

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 host is probably primed for a potential detrimental effect of allogeneic blood. The aim of this paper is to ascertain the effects of allogeneic blood transfusion on the lymphocyte subsets and cytokines in septic rats.Materials and Methods.Thirty rats were allotted into three groups: Sham-CLP, 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-α and IFN-γ were measured in blood by flow cytometry and ELISA.Results.CLP+BT rats showed on Day 3 a decrease of the CD4+%, an increase of the IL-2R expression directly correlated to the increase of the CD8+% phenotype, a steady increase of IL-1 levels, a decrease of the TNF-α levels on the 1st and 3rd days, and a decrease of the IL-2 and IFN-γ on Day 1.Conclusions.An accumulative effect of the immunodepression induced by sepsis was observed when allogeneic blood transfusion is added. Blood transfusion + sepsis induces an extensive impairment on cellular immune response and an initial cytokine downregulation, except for IL-1.