Changes in Granulocyte Functions and Significance of Levels of Serum Granulocyte Colony-stimulating Factor after Surgery for Esophageal Cancer

Yoshiaki Murakami, Takashi Yokoyama*, Naokuni Tatsumoto, Takashi Kodama, Yoshio Takesue, Yuji Imamura, Yuichiro Matsuura

First Department of Surgery, Department of General Medicine*, Hiroshima University, School of Medicine

This study was undertaken to investigate the relatinoship between peripheral granulocyte functions and levels of serum granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) after surgery for esophageal cancer with thoracotomy and laparotomy. Patients with esophageal cancer (group E, n=12) and patients with gastric cancer who underwent subtotal gastrectomy (group G, n=12, control group) were examined. The peripheral white blood cell count (WBC), granulocyte count (GC), granulocyte chemiluminescence (CL) and levels of serum G-CSF (G-CSF0 were measured before and after the operation. WBC and GC of group E were significantly lower at the 4th and 8th postoperative hours (POH) than those of group G (p<0.01), and CL of group E was significantly lower at the 4th, 8th and 24th POH than that of group G (p<0.05). However, G-CSF of group E was significantly higher at the 4th and 8th POH than that of group G (p<0.01), and a significant negative correlation was found between PMN and G-CSF at the 4th POH (p<0.01). These results suggest that the peripheral granulocyte count and CL are decreased early after surgery for esophageal cancer because a lot of granulocytes, which are excessively stimulated by various cytokines including G-CSF, attach to and infiltrate into the tissues.

Key words
surgical stress of esophageal cancer, granulocyte, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, chemiluminescence, cytokine

Reprint requests
Yoshiaki Murakami First Department of Surgery, Hiroshima University School of Medicine
1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734 JAPAN

Accepted
July 7, 1993

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