[Effect of anesthesia with xenon and nitrous oxide with fentanyl on dynamics of cellular immunity and cytokines].

Immunological parameters were studied at randomization in 60 surgical patients during the similar operation--cholecystectomy made under combined endotracheal low-flow general anesthesia using N2O:O2+fentanyl in 32 patients and Xe:O2 in 28 patients. The time course of changes in cellular immunity and cytokines was closely related to the type of an anesthetic. Unlike N2O:O2+fentanyl, Xe did not show such a marked proinflammatory activity, exerted a mild normalizing effect on leuko- and lymphopoiesis, had an immunostimulating activity, and reduced the frequency of postoperative inflammatory complications and the length of stay at hospital. The differences in the action of the anesthetics were due to the fact that Xe had a greater narcotic potential, a protective action on neuroendocrine function, and no toxicity. Xe is indicated to patients with baseline immunodeficiency.