Cellular immunity changes after splenectomy

ABSTRACT

This study was performed on 45 patients in whom splenectomy was done for different causes. Twenty one were bilharzial with hypersplenism, twelve with blood diseases and twelve with traumatic rupture spleen, nineteen healthy individuals were included as control. Evaluation of the immunological state of splenectomized patients was done by estimation of T-lymphocyte percentage and its subpopulation T4 and T8 preoperatively and at 1, 4 and 12 weeks postoperatively. The study revealed significant rise through the follow up period postoperatively in the T-lymphocytes percentage. T4 [helper] lymphocytes showed insignificant difference from the preoperative level, while T8 [suppressor] lymphocytes was significantly increased. This means that the post-splenectomy increase T-lymphocytes was due to increase in suppressor cells. This may be a supportive evidence for the role of splenectomy as a cause of decrease immunity with increase incidence of infection