Influence of autologous and homologous blood transfusion on interleukins and tumor necrosis factor-α in peri-operative patients with esophageal cancer.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the influence of different ways of blood transfusion on the expression levels of interleukins (IL) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inperi-operative patients with esophageal cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 80 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent radical operations were selected as study patients and randomly divided into an observation group (treated with autologous blood transfusion) and control group (with homologous blood transfusion). Changes of intra-operative indexes and peri-operative blood indexes, from hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit value (Hct), to levels of inflammatory factors like interleukins-6 (IL-6), IL-8, IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were compared.

RESULTS

Operations for patients in both groups were successfully conducted, and no significant differences in mean surgical duration and intra-operative hemorrhage volume, fluid infusion volume and blood transfusion volume were detected (p>0.05). Compared with values before surgery, Hb and Hct levels decreased significantly while white blood cell count (WBC) increased 1, 5 and 7 d after operation (p<0.05, p<0.01). In addition, WBC was apparently higher in observation group than in control group 5 and 7 d after operation (p<0.01). Compared with before surgery, in the observation group, levels of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 had no significant differences after operation (P>0.05), but TNF-α level increased y (p<0.01), whereas in control group, IL-6 level had no significant difference (p>0.05), IL-8 level decreased obviously (p<0.05), IL-10 level increased markedly first and then decreased gradually as time passed but its level remained elevated (p<0.01), and TNF-α level increased first and then decreased, and there was no significant difference 7 d after operation (p>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Decreased IL-8 and increased IL-10 levels are two important reasons forimmunosuppression after homologous blood transfusion, whereas autologous blood transfusion can alleviate this while increasing the TNF-α level, which also has potential to improve anti-tumor immunity in the human body.