J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 81(10): 1301-1314, 1980

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Original article

IMMUNITY AND NUTRITION OF HEART DISEASES

In spite of advance of technique of open heart surgery, the chronic congestive heart failure has higher postoperative morbidity and mortality than other heart disease. This poor risk may be due to malnutrition in patients with congestive heart failure, and then, immunity has been compromised in the patients. This study is to determine immunological response and nutritional status in 91 cases with various heart diseases. The following results were obtained.
1) Immune responses, including lymphatic blastoformation and delayed skin tests, were significantly depressed in patients with NYHA classification III-IV.
2) Nutritional status, including diameter of arm muscle, serum albumin, REC, hemoglobin, were significantly depressed in patients with NYHA III-IV.
3) Six patients succumbed shortly after open heart surgery were in NYHA classification III-IV and the delayed skin tests were deeply depressed in all the patients.
4) Recovery of depressed immune response to the preoperation level occurred in one week in patient with congenital heart disease. 2－3 weeks with mitral commissurotomy and longer than one month with valve replacement.
5) Hyperalimentation was established in three cases of NYHA classification III-IV patients with poor delayed skin tests, and resumed then to the normal level.

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