J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 87(4): 375-386, 1986

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Original article

SUPEROXIDE PRODUCTION OF POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTES IN MALNOURISHED PATIENTS WITH CANCER OF DIGESTIVE ORGANS

In malnourished patients, little is known about production of superoxide anion which plays an important role in bactericidal activities of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). In this study, superoxide production of RMNs was assayed in 98 malnourished patients with cancer of digestive organs, in preoperative and untreated state, in order to evaluate the bactericidal capacity, and following results were obtained.
1) Superoxide production of PMNs in patients with cancer was significantly decreased in comparison with healthy controls, especially in advanced cancer patients. Furthermore, superoxide production of PMNs in cancer patients who were suffered from postoperative septic complications was significantly decreased in comparison with the controls and no complication group.
2) Patients with advanced gastric cancer were evaluated as a state of malnutrition in nutritional assessment.
3) Superoxide production of PMNs in malnourished patients with cancer of digestive organs was depressed.
4) In gastric cancer patients, there were no differences in superoxide production of PMNs among clinical stages in well-nourished patients. On the other hand only in stage IV group of malnourished patients low values were presented.
5) These results may suggest that the decrease in superoxide production of PMNs in patients with cancer contributes to high susceptibility to postoperative infection and is induced by malnutrition.

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