The authors evaluated the peroperative immunologic state of patients with colorectal tumors and controlled the postoperative incidence of infections. Twenty-one patients were studied, and delayed type hypersensitivity reactivity determined by the CMI multitest (Merieux) eight days before and eight days after surgery. A lymphocytogram was performed using monoclonal antibodies. A significant percentage of patients were anergic preoperatively. Immunologic analysis revealed lymphocytosis in the first postoperative period. The largest absolute quantitative increase was shown by NK CD16+ cells. It is possible that the results, obtained by dynamic monitoring of the main parameters of cellular immunity, will offer a new way for prognostic evaluation of surgical risk.
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