Lactoferrin regulates the immune responses in post-surgical patients

• Authors: M. Zimecki , A. Wlaszczyk , R. Wojciechowski , J. Dawiskiba , M. Kruzel , M.L. Kruzel
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The effect of oral administration of lactoferrin (LF) was studied to determine if it could modify post-surgical immune response. The action of lactoferrin was evaluated in 18 LF-treated patients versus 28 placebo counterparts. Patients (women and men, mean age 50 years) were given daily oral doses (20 mg each) of LF for 5 consecutive days prior to thyroid surgery. The following immune response parameters were determined in blood samples taken from the patients one day before, one day after, and 5-7 days following surgery: cell morphology, the proliferative response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and the spontaneous and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-) and interleukin 6 (IL-6). As a consequence of the thyroid surgery, the total leukocyte count increased on the postoperative day by about 50% in all patients and the percentage of lymphocytes fell by 26 and 35% in the control vs LF-treated group. The content of neutrophils, on the other hand, elevated on day 1 post-operation by 51 and 68%, respectively. The percent of neutrophil precursors was markedly higher in LF-treated patients, particularly on the day before and the day after surgery (4.1 and 4.8 vs 2.5 and 3.7%, respectively). The post-surgical values were, however, comparable in both groups for neutrophils. The proliferative response of lymphocytes showed a slight decrease in the control group and an increase in the LF-treated patients on day 5 post-operation (20% over control group). LPS-induced TNF- production was higher in LF-treated patients in both one day before and one day following surgery (28 and 24% respectively). LPS-induced IL-6 production was comparable in both placebo and LF-treated patients before surgery, however, on day 1 and 5 following surgery, the production of IL-6 was higher in LF-treated patients by 65 and 27%, respectively. Taken together, the data presented in this study revealed increased immune responsiveness in all patients treated with lactoferrin subjected to the thyroid surgery. This suggests that treatment with lactoferrin could constitute an effective protective measure against post-surgical complications.

Keywords

EN

CLINICAL INSULT; IMMUNOREGULATION; LACTOFERRIN; PREVENTION

Discipline

• IMMUNOLOGY: IMMUNOLOGY

• Publisher: Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis
• Year: 2001
• Volume: 49
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 325

Contributors

author

M. Zimecki

author

A. Wlaszczyk

author

R. Wojciechowski

author

J. Dawiskiba

author

M. Kruzel

author

M.L. Kruzel

• Document Type: ARTICLE
• Publication order reference: M. Zimecki, Department of Experimental Therapy, Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Science, Weigla 12, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland