Natural killer cell activity in patients undergoing minor gynaecological surgery.

Natural killer (NK) cell activity was investigated in 24 patients who were undergoing minor gynaecological surgery performed during neurolept, halothane or spinal anaesthesia. The endocrine response to anaesthesia and surgery was monitored using serum cortisol and plasma catecholamine estimations. The surgical trauma was insufficient to elicit an endocrine stress response. No changes in NK cell cytotoxicity occurred in any group during premedication, anaesthesia or surgery. Post-operatively the NK cell activity fell transiently in the two groups that received general anaesthesia (P less than 0.05), whereas no reduction was found in the group that was given spinal anaesthesia. The results indicate that minor surgery induces only small variations in NK cell cytotoxicity and no conclusions can be made, therefore, concerning the influence of different anaesthetic techniques on NK cell cytotoxicity.