Effects of Different Anesthetic and Analgesic Methods on Cellular Immune Function and Stress Hormone Levels in Patients Undergoing Esophageal Cancer Surgery

Abstract

The change of perioperative immune function in patients with esophageal cancer is mainly caused by the joint action of surgical trauma and anesthesia. In our study, we aimed to investigate the effects of different anesthetic methods on the changes of T lymphocyte subsets and cytokines in peripheral blood of patients with esophageal cancer surgery. 50 patients with esophageal cancer were divided into the study group and the control group. Among them, the patients in the control group chose intravenous anesthesia and received self-controlled intravenous analgesia after surgery. Patients in the study group chose thoracic epidural anesthesia combined with general anesthesia, undergoing self-controlled epidural analgesia after surgery; serum interleukin-2 (IL-2) and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) were measured by ELISA. Serum stress hormones GH and sIL-8 were measured by radioimmunoassay. Both groups of patients achieved significant postoperative analgesia, but the VAS score in the study group at the T2–T4 time point was lower than that in the control group. The serum GH concentration in the study group increased at T1 and reached its highest peak at T2, then decreased. The serum IL-8 concentration of the two groups showed a downward trend from T1 to T4. Thoracic epidural anesthesia combined with general anesthesia for postoperative epidural analgesia can relieve the degree of cellular immunosuppression during and after surgery. Moreover, the thoracic epidural block combined with general anesthesia for esophageal cancer surgery and epidural analgesia after surgery for patients are anesthetic and analgesic methods with clinically significant effects. Our research results have a positive effect on the promotion of postoperative rehabilitation in patients with malignant cell tumors.

Outcomes of intravenous and inhalation anesthesia on patients undergoing esophageal cancer surgery: a retrospective observational study

“…The immunomodulatory effect of anesthetics is considered to be an important mechanism for the effect of anesthetics on tumor prognosis [ 7 ]. Sevoflurane has been shown to induce T-lymphocyte apoptosis, reduce natural killer (NK) cell activity, reduce Th1 / Th2 ratio, increase tumorigenic cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPS) levels (key enzymes involved in basement membrane disassembly, thereby promoting tumor dissemination) to systematically damage immune function [ 14 , 15 ]. In contrast, propofol increased the activity of cytotoxic t-lymphocytes, does not inhibit the activity of the NK cells, and reduced the tumorigenic cytokines, has the protective and anticancer effects [ 16 ].…”

Retracted: Effects of Different Anesthetic and Analgesic Methods on Cellular Immune Function and Stress Hormone Levels in Patients Undergoing Esophageal Cancer Surgery

“…Journal of Healthcare Engineering has retracted the article titled “Effects of Different Anesthetic and Analgesic Methods on Cellular Immune Function and Stress Hormone Levels in Patients Undergoing Esophageal Cancer Surgery “[ 1 ] due to concerns that the peer review process has been compromised.…”